Nebula
by metz0
Summary: Lawless space is a tricky place for Lieutenant Farron to navigate, especially when she gets caught in a trap and damages her ship beyond repair. In the Pulsian Nebula, anything goes, and she must enlist the help of two wild mercenaries in order to get home.
1. Chapter 1

AN - awwwwww yiss. Gots me a buffer now don't I? Here's something else while I writewritewritewritewrite...

* * *

Everyone always thinks of space as this vast stretching infinity of blackness, reaching out into the endless dark with millions of light years between the nearest galactic neighbours. Scientifically speaking, it's an accurate concept. But in reality, space is actually small.

Technological advances and the Jump Gate construction across the galaxy connect it in ways never before thought possible. Trade routes opened, new civilisations explored and of course, wars fought for newly acquired territories, resources and overall human unkindness.

Centuries had passed since the original space farers left the home planet and ventured forth, the home system simply referred to as Cocoon. As they were in a shell before the stars were opened up to them.

Lightning sighed and punched in coordinates into her console and made some adjustments to the internal gyroscope to alter the flight path. She hated being on the frontier. It made her all… Existential and philosophical. She shook the errant thoughts from her mind and focused on the immediate surrounds. It had only been half a year since Lightning graduated from the Guardian Corps and became a full-fledged lieutenant, which meant leaving her home on the tropical paradise of Bodhum and venturing forth into the endless depths of space…

"There I go again, waxing poetic when I should be on the lookout for these smugglers." She growled at herself, gripping at the controls of her console. Lightning was used to piloting craft like this, but on a more local scale. This was a little more bulky, a little more cumbersome with all the additional armour plating to survive both interstellar travel and the battles she has come to learn is all part of the job.

Lightning coasted past the enormous planet Shiva, its ice rings matching the white and blue gases shifting on the surface. Inhabited only by gas miners who stationed themselves on the many irregular shaped moons that orbited the gas giant. Thankfully the worst that often came out of this sector was territorial disputes between rival companies that more often than not needed a lawyer, not a GC officer to facilitate.

Six months and counting on tour in the Sunleth Nebula and thus far only a few mild skirmishes. Her viper class corvette was a solo manned ship, small and agile and barely enough room for her to move around in. Other than the cockpit there was a small kitchenette behind her where she kept her MRE's, and a small alcove where she could sleep if she needed to, but Lightning always preferred to just sleep in her pilot seat. Not the most comfortable but at least she could be awake and firing at a moment's notice rather than being caught by surprise.

Patrols up here meant something entirely different than when she was on the training base back home. A shift only lasted for eight hours at most. Out here in the traverse, a patrol could take weeks. Lightning swung past the Jump Gate that leads to the Taejin cluster in Pulsian space and sighed. Half the known galaxy was split in a far-reaching territorial dispute between the Sanctum Council and those that wanted to be free of the bureaucracy. They called themselves Gran Pulse, but for the most part always got shortened to Pulse, or Pulsian space. They claimed that Sanctum was a dictatorship, anyone living too far to be useful was discarded. Gran Pulse formed their own government, claiming a democracy and began to cut off access to their Jump Gates.

The War of Transgressions happened well before she was born, but they all still felt the repercussions growing up. Years after the war ended and the original, closed-minded council members died off on both sides, they were able to form a fragile truce of trade and joint exploration that meant they could at least access all of the galaxy again. For anyone in the know, however, Pulsian space didn't have an official government, not anymore. It was ultimately lawless, and considered "hell" for anyone looking to travel there to make their mark. Citizens were outwardly discouraged from going there, with all kinds of propaganda about Pulsian space being filled with demon pirates, murderous slave traders and all out violence.

At the end of her week-long patrol, Lightning finally found herself back in the safety of her base sector, and it was time to head back to the headquarters at the GC station. She dipped her wing in greeting to a passing trader vessel, who flickered the lights across their ship in response. It brought an amused smile to her face as she pulled into the docking range and let the tractors do their work.

Breathing a slow sigh of relief for another run without incident, she leant back in her chair and dialled home while she waited for the ship to be taken to its allocated bay.

"Hey sis!" Serah cheered on the video-call, waving madly at the camera as she answered. Lightning shook her head at her sibling's antics, bowing her head in greeting.

"It's good to see you Serah. How are things back home?" She replied, slowly removing the gloves from her hand and throwing them over her shoulder. Her sister gave a shrug and moved her hand about in the air.

"Oh, you know. Same old same old. The kids at the school are a handful but I'm keeping them in line."

"Scary Miss Farron, huh?" Lightning chuckled. She enjoyed the scowl she received a little too much. "I just wanted to check in, let you know I'm ok. I'll be home for the fireworks festival in a few months, Amodar approved my leave yesterday."

Serah clapped her hands in excitement and gave a little squeal of excitement. Lightning was about to poke fun at her but then suddenly lurched forward as the vessel docked. "That's my queue to leave. I'll check in over the next couple of days." They gave their farewells and then she switched off her console.

Lightning exited the craft and made her way to the Militia's main office, giving casual salutes as she passed other officers in the corridor. She took her time heading to her superior's office, not really wanting to be given whatever mission briefing he was waiting for. She buzzed his intercom and the door immediately slid open, the large man beckoning her inside.

"Farron, I was hoping you'd be back before I finished for the day. Take a seat." He offered her a coffee, black and without sugar, much to her happiness. Though she wouldn't show it. He'd once said that she took her coffee like she took everything, _no bullshit and straight to the point_. It's what he'd liked about her from the moment she stepped foot onto the station.

"You wanted to see me, Amodar?"

He nodded, moving his holoscreen around until it faced her. "We've had some very suspicious activity around the nearby Jump Gate to the Palumpolum Nebula. People are disappearing and we need someone to investigate. And I mean investigate. Not engage. We merely need to confirm the reports, and then devise a course of action. If they're accurate, then we've got an infestation of Cei'th in our midst."

Lightning's stomach lurched at the words. Nobody had yet been able to confirm if the elusive Cei'th were a pirate gang, an alien race or just scary stories told in a station bar to try to get free drinks and a warm bed for the evening. Either way, the stories were horrifying in and of themselves. She simply nodded, taking the data file for her personal computer.

"This is reconnaissance only, Lieutenant Farron. Do _not_ play hero."

With a hard swallow, Lightning stood and saluted crisply. She exited the office and made a hasty retreat to her quarters to rest. It was only a sparse, confined space, enough for a bed, small desk and a compact shower and toilet. Other amenities were hidden behind white panelling along the wall, and she took her uniform off and tucked it away in a laundry bin before heading to the shower. Lightning never liked the synthetic water on the station, she much preferred the fresher variety back home for obvious reasons.

Science and technology certainly had its benefits, but when it was moments like this that came down to cost-cutting exercises it was when it annoyed her. Costly to export water to the stations, so they synthesise it in a lab. It always feels different and she can't place why. It was in this cramped space that Lightning felt homesick, and questioned her sanity to give up a place like Bodhum for the endless emptiness of space.

A solitary existence by far, she volunteered for most of the patrols which could take her away from base for weeks on end. Lightning didn't socialise much with the others on base, feeling content to just head back to her quarter and read until she fell asleep if she wasn't tired enough. The way she saw it, the sooner the days ticked by, the sooner her tour was up and she could go home and get a job on base.

There was something about space that had Lightning's awareness just slightly edged with anxiety, there was so much that could go wrong at any given moment, even a barely visible loose screw could cause the collapse of the entire station. She was grateful for the extreme diligence of the maintenance crew, all at least sharing similar levels of anxiety to not risk any shortcuts.

She finished her shower diligently and then got into the small bed, allowing herself to adjust to the artificial gravity before letting the hum of the station gently lull her to sleep. Tomorrow she would deal with the Cei'th. But for now, rest.

* * *

"Hey, Farron!" A familiar voice called out, rousing Lightning from her thoughts the following morning. "Woman on a mission, as always, eh?" The figure caught up to her in the hallways and she sighed.

"That's because I'm always being sent on one, Rygdea," she chided, only receiving a slap on her back and a hearty laugh from the other officer.

"Aw, and here I was about to ask you down to Sarracenia. Me and the boys were planning on heading down to the planet for a skirmish and a drink after. You know, _morale_ building."

Lightning hummed in response, not amused in the slightest by his idea of _morale building_. She shook her head and shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "I'll take a rain check, Rygdea. I've got somewhere I need to be. It's important."

The officer grimaced and eyed the lieutenant warily. "Damn, Farron. You look like you could actually use a drink. Bad briefing?"

"I'm headed off out near the edges of the system, near Palumpolum's gate to investigate a possible Cei'th sighting."

Rygdea sucked air through his teeth with a groan. "Ouch. Never mind the drinks then, do you want backup?" Lightning declined with a dismissive wave.

"I'll be fine. I've specifically been instructed _not_ to play hero." She drawled, giving him a sarcastic salute and turning to head off towards the hangar.

"You better come back in one piece, Farron! I'll take you up on your offer and drag you down to Calautidon when you get back. Its always raining down there!" Lightning suppressed the smile at his words and kept walking, muttering under her breath. She didn't keep that smile hidden when she saw her vessel in the hangar, ready to go. Lightning tied her hair back to keep it out of the way, as the ship was too small for artificial gravity generators. Probably another reason why she spent so much time in the pilot chair. For once she was thankful for a cramped space, meaning that it wasn't too disorientating to move around. "Come on, Odin, let's see what trouble we can get ourselves into today."

A few days into her mission after a refuel at a trade hub nearby the Jump Gate, Lightning punched in the coordinates towards the last known sighting of these alleged Cei'th vessels. If they were just stories, the mercenaries did a damn good job talking them up to be the shadow monsters of nightmares. She patrolled for hours along the outskirts of the locales she was given, the sighted hotspots for all this alleged activity.

Lightning knew on runs like this, her colleagues would bring music or some kind of holovid to watch. The very idea brought a scowl to her face. Distractions in space were dangerous, especially out here away from any assistance. As much as the silence unnerved her, she couldn't afford to have anything take away from her focus.

Coming up empty, Lightning was about to leave the small asteroid field she was drifting through and head back to HQ when a blip came up on her radar. "Well that's interesting..." she muttered, scanning the vector with a keen eye. The vessel now coming up on her screen had just suddenly appeared from nowhere, like it had come from a jump gate. But there were none for miles, thousands of miles even.

Another blip on the radar appeared, closer to her ship this time. Lightning pulled up the viewer and zoomed in with a gasp. The vessel was like nothing she'd ever seen before, a jagged and aggressive design. The red and black lines along the sides looked more organic than metallic. "Almost as if they're crystal..." Lightning whispered to herself. Her dashboard lit up with warnings about unstable spatial anomalies, and felt dread seeping into her awareness.

She felt less safe the more the ships appeared from nowhere, and she pulled up her recorder to start feeding back to the base. She was hesitant to broadcast in case they had signal scanners, but this low range data transfer should hopefully not be detected. She found herself holding her breath as she stared, trying to figure out where they were appearing from. They were nowhere near a jump gate, so how were these ships just showing up? Was it an advanced cloaking device? Could they have somehow developed a way to create smaller jump gates?

Lightning's questions would be answered when her ship's warning system suddenly lit up, blaring alarms and bright red script across her displays. A Cei'th ship materialized from a miniature jump gate behind her. "Shit!" She hissed, kicking her engine into gear and gunning out of her hiding place behind an asteroid. Chaos erupted in the small space as the lieutenant suddenly had to attempt to outmanoeuvre twenty vessels all intent on leaving her as a floating corpse in the vacuum of space.

Plasma beams carved up the asteroids as she ducked and weaved through the field, trying desperately to avoid being obliterated. Lightning banked hard and let off a volley of concussive blasts at a nearby Cei'th vessel. It didn't even make an impact, their shields absorbing the damage. She observed a number of distortions in the space around her, and she deduced they were coming from these ships. How could they have such technology?

"Mayday mayday this is Lieutenant Claire Farron requesting immediate assistance in vector Alpha Niner Sigma, I am under attack by multiple entities from unknown vectors, repeat I am under attack in vector Alpha Niner Sigma!"

Nothing but static met her ears in the comms device and she cursed, narrowly avoiding another beam striking her ship. She glanced at the small holo on the dash of her and her sister back on the pristine beaches of New Bodhum and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't going out like this. Sending her Corvette into a barrel roll, she dodged and weaved through the masses of ships as they opened fire. Lightning thought she was in with a chance of freedom but a missile glanced off her wing and sent her into a spiral.

Warning lights and life support alarms went ballistic in the cockpit, and she frantically put her helmet on and prepared to jettison away. She lost her footing as the craft spun out, and Lightning only just had enough time to pull herself up to her seat to see her ship careening towards the spatial anomaly she had seen earlier.

"Serah... I'm sorry..."

She felt a terrible pressure in her skull and chest as she hit the rift. Everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN -_ Yep.

* * *

The incessant beeping of her life support system brought her back into consciousness and Lightning blinked, thoroughly confused.

"I'm... Alive? How?" she asked aloud, not expecting any kind of response. She clawed her way back into her seat and tried to bring her systems online to no avail. The lieutenant was adrift in space, with no way of knowing where she was. "Etro, how am I going to get out of this one?"

When Lightning looked out the window of her cockpit, she felt even less certain of her survival, let alone her location. None of the stars looked familiar, and she was nowhere near a jump gate. The spatial anomaly could have been anything. She sagged in the seat, trying desperately to remain calm. "Think, you idiot," she chided herself, "what's the first thing to do in a stranded situation? Gotta get the systems back online first. But how..."

"Well hello there, partner!" a voice crackled through her comms unit and she jumped in her seat. Lightning frantically scrambled for her device and pressed the button to respond.

"Hello?"

"Hoo'wee! Got ourselves a live one! I'm surprised you're still kickin' in there darlin', the way your ship's been dinged up."

The drawl was casual, but Lightning's hackles were raised regardless. "I've sustained damage, the ship's drive is offline. Can you tell me my coordinates?"

Rich laughter rang in the cockpit as the stranger hooted and hollered. "Little lady, don't you know? You're about an hour's warp from the Ifrit Station. Haerii Cluster."

The lieutenant grew pale at his response and shut the device off for a moment. "The Haerii Cluster... That can't be possible..." she whispered, clearly rattled. The cluster in question was Pulsian space. A six week travel _with_ jump gates and the warp drive at maximum back to her home. Her hand shot to her mouth as she trembled. "How could I be this far out in a matter of moments?"

"You still there little lady? Ya haven't gone and died on me have ya?"

Lightning turned the device back on with a shaking hand and cleared her throat. "N-no... Still here... Just trying to figure out how to get out of here before I'm chewed up and spat out by pirates."

A hum of contemplation sounded down the unit, like the stranger was thinking. "We're not all bad out this way, _Officer,_ " he drawled, obviously seeing the markings on the ship. "But I tell you it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to leave you here to get spaced. I'll take ya as far as the Ifrit Station, beyond that, you're on your own."

"Thank you. I am in your debt." Lightning responded, sounding relieved. The stranger chuckled and she felt a lurch as her ship was caught up in his tractor net.

"We may not _all_ be bad out this way but... Don't offer up yourself like that in these parts, darlin'. You may not like everybody's asking terms. But we'll get ya to the station soon enough." The man responded, then the line went dead. He never even offered up his name. The pinkette huffed and settled back in the chair, still in her armour. With the failing life support systems she wasn't taking any chances, and there was at least two hours of oxygen left in her suit before it became a problem.

Lightning fiddled with her systems, trying to see if she could bring any of them back online without having to get out of the ship, coming up short on every angle. She sighed in frustration and kicked at her control panel in disgust. Even though the man helping her seemed genuine, she was utterly stuck, armed only with a pistol and an energy blade. Who knew if they were really going to a station, or some far off outpost where she'd wind up dead or trafficked.

Thankfully her fears were unfounded. It only took an hour before they'd reached the station, a looming mass of steel embedded into the side of a mined out asteroid. The man sent her into the docking bay without entering within range of the stations scanners and with a final farewell warped out quickly enough. By Lightning's guess, he was likely a smuggler with a heart of gold. Rare breed, but even though she was an officer of the law she could accept and even prefer the criminals that went by some kind of honour code.

The dock admin took one look at her vessel and shook her head as she booked her into a bay. Lightning was grateful that they took credits this far out and paid dutifully whatever the price was. This was the first time she was able to get out of her beautiful Corvette class ship and survey the damage. Ignoring the few whistles and hollers from around the docks as she removed her helmet, she had to stifle an anguished cry as she looked upon her baby. Lightning had become too attached to her ship over the last six months, and the damage was immense. It wouldn't even make the trip to the nearest planet, let alone halfway across the galaxy.

"Etro, I am so screwed," she muttered to herself as she finalized the paperwork. The dock admin quirked an eyebrow at the lieutenant and nodded her head in the direction of one of the pathways leading away from her bay.

"Start down there." She said gruffly, moving onto the next lot of paperwork.

"Mechanic down that way?" Lightning replied with a stretch of her neck. The woman shook his head and pointed at her ship.

"Nah, the bar. Reckon you'd need a drink after whatever the fuck you've just been through. Surprised you weren't spaced, damage like that on the ship."

The lieutenant conceded the point with a slump of her shoulders. In reality it sounded like a good idea. She thanked her for her time and patience, heading off down the path. The amount of sneers, snarls and savage looks she received as she moved through the station made her uneasy. "What kind of station is this?" she whispered to herself, unconsciously feeling for her pistol in her holster. She was relieved when she entered the bar, the darker atmosphere allowing her to hide in the shadows. Lightning had her suspicions her pauldron was setting the locals off. She wouldn't imagine anyone would like the Guardian Corps around here, and fiddled with the lights on her shoulder armour, switching them off in the hopes it would make her marginally more inconspicuous.

The grizzled bartender nodded at her to sit as he cleaned a glass. At least here she seemed welcome to approach. "Am I fine to be served here?" She asked hesitantly, albeit a little defensively. The broad man shrugged and continued cleaning the glass with as much indifference as he could muster. His scarred face was obscured by a large greying beard, trimmed neatly so as not to get in his way while he worked.

"You here to keep to yourself and not arrest anyone? You planning to pay and not start shit in my establishment? Then yeah, you're fine to be served here." He responded wryly, his cybernetic eye implant casting a dull blue glow over the bench. Lightning found herself staring at it, intrigued. She'd seen prosthetics before but they were all designed to blend in, be seamless with the rest of the body. This blue illuminated orb seemed to stand out like a badge of pride. He caught her staring and tapped at the implant. "Lost it in a skirmish when I used to be a fighter pilot out in the Ma'habara nebula. We don't get the fancy pants prosthetics like you Cocoonian folk do, but at least this way I don't ever have to worry about losing my keys in the dark."

Lightning took out her card and paid for the beer with a laugh, admiring the callous but jovial attitude from the scar-faced, grey-haired man. She revelled in the ice-cold liquid rushing down her throat as it brought the first relief she'd felt since this mess started. The bartender gave her a grin and leant over the counter, scratching at his grey beard.

"I'd say... You look like someone that's in need of a friend." He asked, polishing the glass with a towel as he spoke. The lieutenant arched an eyebrow at him and huffed.

"That obvious?" She drawled, placing the can back down on the bench. He nodded and motioned towards the people in the bar. She turned to observe the crowd. A couple of traders engaged in barter over drinks, a petite redhead going toe to toe with a behemoth of a man in a drinking contest, and one lone dark-haired woman sitting behind the booth with the young girl, staring straight at her with a slow sip of her own drink. The woman's eyes trailed down to the bands on Lightning's shoulder and her expression turned sour. The lieutenant coughed nervously, realising how out of place she looked in an un-monitored sector. The man behind the bar nodded towards her and grinned.

"She'll be who you'll want to talk to, if you're needing a way out of whatever mess you're in, Lieutenant. And yes, it's obvious. We don't get the Guardian Corps in this sector at _all_. So you kind of... Stick out."

Thoroughly abashed, she bowed in thanks and took her drink from the counter, walking over to the booth with the dark-haired woman. She hadn't taken her eyes off the pinkette since she entered the bar, and Lightning couldn't figure out if her gaze was appraising, predatory or just downright indifferent. She cleared her throat and placed her beer on the table, wiping the condensation off her hand before holding it out in greeting.

"The bartender told me you're someone to talk to if people are in need of help."

"Well Sunshine," the merc said with a languid stretch in the booth, "You've either come to the wrong place, or the very right place depending on who's asking with that badge on your shoulder... Don't see your kind round these parts." She didn't shake the pinkette's hand, but gestured to the seat in front of her. Lightning reluctantly sat down, uncertain as to how much more trouble she could get into in one day. This woman was at least willing to speak with her, so she relented and supposed she should accept what the fates offered. "What brings a nice officer like you to a hell hole like this... Lieutenant Farron?" she asked, reading the name badge.

Lightning sighed, cradling the beer in her hands. She hung her head in exhaustion, suddenly weary from the weight of her predicament settling on her shoulders. "Got caught in an ambush near a jump gate. Had to escape before they took me out. I didn't even know the damn Cie'th were operating in our sector." She growled, frustrated that the pirates had managed to get the drop on her.

"Cie'th?" The brunette said with raised eyebrows, not expecting to hear the name brought up in conversation at all. "They don't normally _operate_ in any vector, darlin'. They appear out of nowhere, take what they please and then vanish into the void before anyone can even realise they're suddenly careening through the vacuum of space. We haven't had any reports of them operating here in this nebula."

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Lightning took another drink. "They hit me a few systems over, caught me by surprise when on patrol looking for reports of missing ships in the area. I... don't honestly know how I wound up this far out." She admitted with a bite of her lip. The mercenary's eyes darted down to the movement then back to the lieutenant's eyes with a curious expression.

Bringing up her chip display, Lightning showed the merc her bank balance, her entire life savings. "I need help to get back to my own system. My ship is damaged and won't make the trip. I can pay at least fifty thousand credits now, another fifty on safe return and you can even... Keep the ship and sell it for scrap."

The mercenary looked thoughtful and eyed the credits with a hum. She gave the lieutenant a once over, her eyes ending once more on the pauldron that stuck out like a gorgonopsid in a sheep herd. "Yeah well, you also _need_ to get the hell out of that GC gear. It'll get you _and_ us all killed out in these parts. But, your price is reasonable, and there should be something on board you can wear if there's nothing on this station. Name's Fang."

"Call me Lightning." The pinkette responded bluntly, not willing to give the mercenary any more information than necessary.

Fang gave a whistle over her shoulder and a small redhead jumped out of a booth where she had finished up with a drinking contest, the larger man slumping over in confused defeat. "Come on little sparrow, we got work to do. This is my partner in crime and time, Oerba Dia Vanille. 'Nille, this is Lightning. She's got a job for us."

"Just call me Vanille. It's real nice to meet ya!" The young girl cheered, shaking the lieutenant's hand excitedly. Lightning was stunned, the redhead seemingly unaffected by the alcohol she'd been previously watching her consume.

"How are you even still standing?" She questioned, noting the laugh from the merc behind her. Fang put an arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Wouldn't worry too much about her, Sunshine. 'Nille's got the home field advantage here, don't ya?" She chuckled, pouring a couple of shots from the clear bottle and handing them to everyone. Lightning tentatively sniffed at the alcohol, expecting the burn to assault her senses but instead smelt nothing. She took a sip of the shot and then stared hard at the two mercenaries.

"It's just water. You cheated."

Fang mocked surprise and hurt at the accusation, staggering backwards and grabbing the redhead's shoulder for support. "Gods, you say that like we're some sort of… Of mercenaries for hire with dubious ethics!" She exclaimed, over-exaggerating her offence. With another roll of her eyes Fang took the shot anyway and put the glass down on the bench. She picked up a canister of beer from the table and gave a salute to the bartender working behind the counter. "Come on, let's blow this joint and see what the great wide galaxy has to offer for this joyride."

They left the bar and moved along the station towards the hangar. Lightning was beginning to regret taking this path with a wayward merc that towed the moral line between right and wrong. The arrogant way she held herself and the cocky swagger to her walk gave Lightning the distinct impression that they would clash over their obviously different… "Professional approaches".

She remembered something her captain had said back in training about the people out here in the void, far outside jurisdiction of the Sanctum. That out here it was virtually lawless beyond local militia that does their part to keep the "peace", such as it was; and that there was no time for scruples when there were mouths to feed.

The hallway opened up into a vast space with dozens of ships in varying sizes. The lieutenant looked around to see which scrap heap someone as rough around the edges like Fang would have. "So, which one's yours?" she queried, receiving a grin and a pointed finger in response. Turning in the direction she was gesturing, her jaw dropped at the enormous ship parked nearby.

"That's… A Bahamut class vessel, how in the hell did you get your hands on that?" Lightning asked, bewildered at the sheer size of the angular, deep red, orange and blue craft sitting in the hangar of the space station. The mercenary gave the pink-haired woman a once over and shrugged.

"This and that. I work hard for my baby girl. Why, you gonna do an audit before you step on board or is the _paperwork_ to your satisfaction?" She drawled sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the lieutenant. Lightning scoffed and folded her arms defensively, feeling a little inferior with her Viper class corvette. It was small enough to park in the hangar of the merc's vessel with room to spare, and that looked to be exactly what was happening, as she watched her craft get carefully loaded into the bay of the beast.

"It's huge, and impressive. How big is the crew?"

"Uh, actually it's just Vanille and me at the helm of our baby. We have a lot of automation set up so it _can_ be run by just the two of us. Lot of hard work but... Never had time to organise a crew. Or the inclination to care."

The admission was surprising to Lightning, that a ship of that size could only be managed by two people, let alone the automation systems that had been developed so that they _could_ was astounding. Searching her memories and knowledge of the GC ships, she wasn't even certain they had those kind of capabilities on board any of their vessels. Lightning frowned at the implications of a ship that large being so heavily reliant on systems, especially given her recent experiences. Three people wouldn't be enough to get that beast of a ship going again if the systems went offline.

Fang finished her beer and threw the empty canister over the railing, listening to it clang far below on the other deck. "So then Sunshine, lets head off on this delivery mission of yours then, yes? Welcome aboard my gorgeous piece of work." She said with a lazy grin, swiping her access card on the docking panel. It lit up with a number of bays within the station and she thumbed her way through them until she found the one she was looking for.

"Ah, there we go."

Lightning peered over her shoulder as the mercenary punched in the security code to open the bridge to the ship. The name lit up as access was granted.

 _Ragnarok_.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN -_ It's so hot I can barely function and it's sapping both my will to live and my ability to write. But here is a chapter to move things along!

* * *

The lieutenant allowed herself to be led through the narrow corridor of the ship. It was run down and paintwork long since scratched and faded, but looked like it was ready for just about anything.

Fang led her to a small room that would serve as her quarters, with a small bed and desk. Lightning entered and placed her pack on the mattress, feeling uncertain. She was taking a huge risk by enlisting the help of these two mercenaries, with no knowledge of their background or if they could even be trusted.

"Thank you," she said quietly with a bow. The brunette chuckled and shook her head.

"No need to be so formal, Lieutenant," Fang replied with a mocking salute. "Get yourself settled in. No doubt you're probably in need of some rest after the day you've had. Get some sleep, Lieutenant Farron, I'll give you a tour of the ship later."

Fang spun on her heel and left, the door sliding shut. Lightning kicked her bag off the bed with a frustrated sigh and lay back to try to relax. The cocky mercenary was right though, she was exhausted, and had felt it catching up to her the moment she set foot in the quarters. There was so much to do. Somehow report in and contact her sister...

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, confused. The lights in her quarters had dimmed and her watch stated it was about 0100UT. Lightning frowned, not even remembering falling asleep. Her stomach growled and she ran her hands over her abdomen with a groan, not able to recall the last time she ate.

"I wonder if they have anything passing for a kitchen around here..." she muttered aloud, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing. When Lightning opened the door to the corridor, the lights flickered on but remained dim. She nodded to herself, mildly comforted by the fact that the lights seemed to operate on a Universal Time cycle, dimming to simulate night. It was a difficult concept to get used to at first when Lightning first started going off planet for missions, but the Universal Time made sense logically. Once leaving the atmosphere of any planet, all interstellar travel adhered to one "time zone" of sorts, a twenty-six hour cycle, to avoid burnout for any of the crew on long haul space flights. By no means accurate in the grand scheme of solar rotations and planetary time zones, it at least helped coordinate ships and stations between nebulas.

Lightning's boots clanked against the metal grating on the floor as she moved, sounding unusually loud over the hum of the engines. It made her miss home, where gravity was a given and not something artificially constructed. It gave her movements an unnecessary jarring feel as she made her way through the ship, following the natural layout to come across the bridge. As the door slid open she found the mercenary sitting in the captain's chair, legs dangling over the armrest while she perused an old fashioned book. Her legs were uncovered, the brunette seeing fit to only wear black boxers and a matching crop top. Engrossed in her reading, she didn't hear the initial opening of the door but looked up when she heard the gentle clearing of a throat.

"Oh. Hey." Fang said, casting a glance down at herself and then back to the blushing lieutenant. "Sorry, I uh... Not used to people being up at this time of night. Vanille usually takes the day shift and uh... Yeah. How are you feeling?"

Lightning opened her mouth to answer, but her stomach beat her to it, grumbling loudly in protest. The pinkette looked down, mortified.

"That answers that then," Fang grinned, closing the book and leaping up from the chair. "Come on, I'll take you to the galley. Grab you something to eat."

They walked down the corridor in silence, and Fang ushered the lieutenant down a ladder into a reasonably-sized kitchen. Private vessels such as this always allowed for a little more comfort than what she was used to with the GC, so the spacious kitchen with comfortable looking seats was a treat indeed. Her stomach seemed to agree, rumbling in anticipation. Lightning heard the quietest of laughs coming from the mercenary and folded her arms in defence.

"It's... Been a minute, alright?" the pinkette complained. Fang gave her a once over with an arch of her eyebrow, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the bench.

"If the GC's ration policy is anything like I remember, it's likely been more than a minute, Sunshine. They still feeding you lot the disgusting protein packs?" Fang asked, the wince from the lieutenant all she needed as confirmation. "Gods. No bloody wonder. That shit isn't good enough for livestock, let alone a soldier who needs their wits about them. Plus, space life is hell. If you aren't getting the right amount of goods into you, you'll cop muscle wastage or worse, even with the artificial gravity."

Lightning was impressed by the knowledge and frowned at the fact these things weren't ever advised in training beyond _'They've done good for the GC for centuries, we've no reason to stop using what works, so shut up and eat the protein packs.'_. She watched Fang busy herself at the stove, humming to herself as she pulled pans and pots from various cupboards. Fetching ingredients from the fridge, the brunette opens a container and picked at what appeared to be some form of meat.

"Mm. This'll do. Here try this, tell me what you think." Fang said, handing Lightning a strip of meat from the container. "It's from a planet called Adroa, over in the Archylte vector. Huge angry bird. You gotta marinate it for about a week before it's edible, otherwise you'll wear your jaw out chewing the bloody thing."

Hesitantly trying the meat, Lightning was pleasantly surprised at the rich taste, enhanced with the spicy brine it had been soaking in. "That's pretty good," she admitted, Fang giving a hum of approval and going back to cooking. Before too long three bowls were placed on the counter, filled to the brim with broth, noodles and an assortment of vegetables and meat. Lightning felt herself salivate, slightly embarrassed at her reaction.

She cast her gaze over the third bowl and then looked up at Fang with a raised eyebrow. The merc merely smiled and then held up three fingers, then two, then one, before pointing at the exit. Vanille suddenly appeared, sliding down the ladder with a sleepy grin on her face.

"Little sparrow here could sniff out a cooked meal from a thousand miles." Fang explained with an affectionate ruffle of her sibling's red hair. Vanille simply grumbled and tucked into her meal, and Lightning did the same. She couldn't suppress the groan that tore from her throat from the first mouthful of food, and she held her hand across her mouth in shock. Finding an expectant look from Fang, she cleared her throat and gave a shy smile.

"It's... Certainly better than the rations on the station." The pinkette relented with a nod and noticed the large grin appear across the merc's face. They ate in silence, Vanille and Fang occasionally discussing the route back and the various trade routes to hit up once they're done with this job.

Once they were done with their meal, Fang escorted Lightning back to her quarters. Handing her a bottle with a bright green substance in it, the merc leant in the doorway. "There's a few vitamins and whatnot in the drink. It looks like it'd glow under a black light but I assure you it's safe. If you can't sleep, there's a small gym downstairs by the med bay if you need to work off any other frustrations for your day. Or, you know. I'm here too, to assist in... Working off any other frustrations..." She said with a wink. Lightning scowled, moving forward to the pad by the door.

"Thank you for the meal Fang. I will retire for the night." The lieutenant clipped, shutting the door and locking it. The merc straightened up, just narrowly missing a pinch from the door closing and scratched at her head.

"Right. Well then, g'night lieutenant."

* * *

Fang lazily punched coordinates into the monitor, and then stood from her chair. She walked towards the deck window, watching the nearby planet while they skimmed its orbit. The scarred surface told an ancient story of a world pummelled by asteroids and molten eruptions from deep within its surface. A pocket of activity in the southern sector was picked up by the scanners that brought a smile to her face. Enterprising miners, all ambition and not caring about the risk, were on the surface extracting minerals for trade.

It would still be at least half a day's travel to get to the next Jump Gate, and then there'd be another several weeks on the back of that. Fang scratched at her neck, deep in thought. For the lieutenant to be so far from home in such a tiny ship, it would be impossible for it to have made it across the traverse on her own.

Then there was the mention of the Cie'th. That alone made the mercenary's blood freeze in her veins. They were merely regarded as ghost stories in the beginning, but then stations started to go offline on the edges of the known vectors, entire colonies being wiped out. These Cie'th were more than just the standard pirates, but no one had yet to figure out a motive.

"What isn't this little pink-haired beauty telling us…" Fang said aloud, pursing her lips in frustration. The subject of her musings reappeared through the doorway to the bridge, dressed in casual fatigues rather than the blisteringly uptight GC uniform. Lightning walked over with a quick bow in greeting. With a groan, Fang shook her head. "Spare me the formalities. I never liked them in the Corps, so don't start now."

The lieutenant stiffened and glanced at her quizzically. "You… Were in the GC?"

"Briefly," Fang replied, turning back to the viewing deck. She looked out to the stars beyond and huffed. "Didn't like the way they had a hierarchy of assistance in the outer rims. Out here, they allocated less patrols, less presence because it wasn't deemed a high enough priority, and _the people should have known what they were getting themselves into when they moved that far away_. So, I told them to cram their job and left."

Lightning considered, and then gave a small smile. "Wouldn't have thought you were someone to listen to authority in the first place."

Another mock gasp came from her right, before Fang broke into a rich, husky laughter. "You're not wrong there, Sunshine." She replied, making her way back to the captain's chair. "Listen, I've been thinking, I know you're going to get all self-conscious and concerned at some point or another about eating the food on this ship, using facilities and before you tell me you'll pay," Fang held a hand up to cut off any protest, "I was actually hoping you might just help us around the ship while we're travelling to your home. Earn your keep, as it were."

The lieutenant thought it over. It seemed reasonable, no ulterior motive and the captain at least wasn't asking for sex as payment, despite the rather forward offer the night previous. She nodded, accepting. "I'm good with a turret, navigation and piloting. I can cook a mean steak when the situation warrants, and obviously know how to keep things clean."

Fang grinned, keeping the small list in mind. "Sounds good to me. But there's something I gotta know. How'd you get that tiny arse ship halfway across the galaxy? It doesn't have the warp drive equipped for that kind of distance, and the jump gates would take you the length of time it's taking us to get back. So what gives?"

The silence that followed the question was only pierced by the hum of the engines around them. Lightning chewed at her lip and hugged herself from over by the window. "I don't know." She whispered. "I think... I think the Cei'th have the ability to generate their own jump portals, without the need of a gate. I fell through one of them after the ship lost control when I got hit."

"Well... Shit. That shouldn't even be possible."

Lightning gave a derisive laugh and let her arms hang limp at her sides. "Well I'm here, having to drain my life savings to get home so, I guess it is."

Vanille stuck her head in the bridge with a wave. "Come on Fang, your shift is over. Go get some sleep. I'll come wake you when we dock at the next station to refuel in a few hours." She chided, her sister giving her a lazy gesture as she trudged off. The redhead watched her go with a click of her tongue before settling into the captain's chair with a wiggle of her hips. Lightning watched her for a moment before staring back out to the infinite cosmos from the bridge window.

"So what's your story?" Vanille asked, tapping away at the control panel without breaking eye contact with the lieutenant. When she received nothing but a blank look, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "You know, any family, friends, lovers, ambitions, hopes, dreams?"

Lightning simply turned and looked back out the window. Just when the young redhead had given up any hope for a response, she heard the answer but only barely, the lieutenant had spoken so softly.

"I have a sister. And my job, and my ship. That's about all I care about."

Vanille hummed while tapping at her chin, contemplative of the lieutenant. She suddenly snapped her fingers and jumped from the seat, the motion startling Lightning.

"Oh! You wouldn't have had a chance to check in with your sister and let her know you're okay!" she chirped, typing away at a console. The pinkette laughed bitterly and folded her arms, staring back out to space.

"No. I haven't. With how far out I am from home there's probably no point. Comms relays from this distance would only be marginally faster than what we're travelling at present. I didn't see the point of it."

The redhead shook her head and brought up a communications array on her screen. "This one is a little faster. It's a quantum communicator that utilises the same frequency as the jump gates. It's my own design. There's still a few seconds lag but it's still a work in progress." She explained with a shrug. Lightning just stared in disbelief.

"That's amazing! Psicom doesn't even have that level of technology. Why are you out here and not in a lab somewhere?"

Vanille's demeanour suddenly shifted and she looked away, her jaw set. "I was. Didn't like what they were using my research for, so I left with Fang to come out here. Speaking of, I'll give you some privacy and go check to make sure Fang has actually gone to bed."

She left the lieutenant on the bridge staring at the screen in utter amazement. Lightning frowned at the retreating form. There was something about Vanille that was contradictory, a wisdom and experience that betrayed her innocent appearance. Perhaps she had seen more than her share of things. A story for another time over real shots instead of water.

The lieutenant shook her errant thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. She held her breath and punched in the ID and waited for the connection.

"Hello? Who is this?" The familiar voice came crackling though the monitor. The picture was glitchy and sound not the greatest of quality but Lightning didn't care. It was possibly one of the most beautiful sights she'd seen.

"Serah... It's me," she replied, watching the lag as her sister's face went through the varied expressions of confusion, then shock, then relief.

"Oh my god Claire, you're alright! They told me you were dead!" She exclaimed, her voice breaking with overwhelming emotion. The elder Farron struggled with the same problem, unconsciously reaching out for the screen.

"I was, just about." She replied, pulling her hand back and grinding her teeth in anger. She had come so close. _So goddamn close to not being here anymore._

Serah sighed with relief and settled back in her chair. "I'm just glad you're alright. You're coming home and staying planet side for at least the next year so I can keep an eye on you!"

"Sounds good to me."

The younger pinkette stopped and stared. It was unlike her sister to ever agree to something so potentially detrimental to her career. Serah filed it away for later and frowned. "So how long until you're back?"

Lightning swallowed hard and fidgeted in her seat. "Yeah... About that... It's going to take a moment to get home. I'm... currently making my way through the Haerii cluster."

"That's not funny, Claire. That's at least a six week trip and I spoke to you near Palumpolum yesterday."

The lieutenant breathed heavily through her nose for a moment, trying to calm her frustrations. She knew how it sounded. "I'm serious."

Her sister gaped at her in shock. "But, how? How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. But I'm safe, and have commandeered transport home. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Serah looked over her sister's face, as if she were committing every detail to memory. Taking a deep breath, the younger Farron bowed her head to hide her emotion. "Alright, just... Please be safe. I don't know how you're managing to contact me from that distance but... Can you check in as you go? I need to know you're alright."

Lightning nodded and gave a soft smile. "I'll talk with the engineer behind the communicator, hopefully she'll let me use it again. I'll keep in touch."

Vanille returned after a few minutes of Lightning sitting in silence once the call had ended. The redhead noted how the lieutenant seemed a little more relaxed. "I've got one more thing that will help you feel better." She piped up, drawing the stoic woman from her thoughts. She gestured for the pinkette to follow and led her from the bridge. "Here you go, there's a towel in the spare locker there. It's real too." Vanille skipped out before Lightning could question exactly _what_ was real, and turned to the shower stall with a relieved sigh.

Her sigh turned to a gasp of surprise from the moment the water hit her. It was _real._ None of that synthesized concoction they used on the GC station that felt more like a slicker, slightly oily liquid that left her skin feeling salty and dry. Real, pristine water. She grabbed one of the soap bottles on the shelf and grimaced at the smell. It was like drowning in candy, an overwhelming sweet scent that gave her a headache on first inhale.

"Etro, it's like something Serah would wear as a perfume," she muttered to herself and reached for the other bottle instead. This time taking a more tentative sniff of the contents, Lightning had to admit this was far more pleasurable than the sweetness of the other soap. If she had to take a wild guess, it wouldn't be hard to figure out which soap belonged to whom. She picked the second one to wash with, after all she'd prefer to smell like a rainforest than a candy store.

The lieutenant hummed to herself as she indulged in the feeling of actual water hitting her skin and smiled. The scent of the soap was lulling her into a state of relaxation, the first she'd experienced in a long time, even before her week went to hell. She found it funny that she could ever have gotten used to the synthetic water back at base and shuddered at the memory of it.

With a resigned sigh Lightning turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying herself quickly. Far be it for her to be already depleting her life savings _and_ have to pay an exorbitant water bill on top of it if she exhausted their supply. She got dressed and wandered down the hallway, still drying her hair. As she passed an open doorway she heard a commotion that had her stop in her tracks.

Fang was in the gym, training with a holo-combatant. Lightning had seen these before in the training facilities back home, a device that could generate an artificial gravity and energy shield to give a projection temporary mass and substance. She leant in the doorway and watched the mercenary work, impressed at her form. What Fang lacked in speed she made up for in brute strength, blocking a strike where the lieutenant would have otherwise evaded it. The brunette switched the holo-field off and jogged over to the side of the mat, grabbing a towel to dry the sweat from herself. It was then that she caught the lieutenant's staring and smiled confidently.

"Enjoy the show there, Sunshine?" she drawled, her voice husky and strained from the exertion. Lightning rolled her eyes and grabbed the nearby bottle of water, tossing it to the merc.

"You have an interesting form, I'll give you that." She replied, arms folded. Fang chuckled and took a long drink from the bottle before wiping her mouth with the back of her glove.

"Such a shameless flirt you are, lieutenant."

The pinkette clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned to leave. She didn't know why she hovered, as if waiting to see if Fang would push further or pull backwards. A part of her was admittedly curious. When nothing came she looked over her shoulder to find Fang with her back to her, seemingly oblivious to her presence as she took off her gloves.

"Thank you, by the way," Lightning said, drawing the mercenary's attention back, "for letting me call home to my sister. Vanille's invention is impressive."

Fang smiled and waved her off dismissively. "Don't think anythin' of it, Lightning. I know more than most how important family is. Vanille's all I got left. If I got cut off from her I don't know what I'd do. If you need to talk to your sister again just let us know. We'll position the ship so you can send another communication. Otherwise you can send off email via the quantum relay instead if you need to." The brunette bowed her head with a grin and went back to removing the wrappings off her hands. She glanced up again when she noticed the pinkette still hadn't moved from the doorway. "Something else on your mind, lieutenant?"

There was a contemplative expression on her face, but Lightning said nothing, shaking her head and taking her leave. Fang simply hummed to herself as she went back to the task of freeing her hands from their bindings, the pink-haired aloof soldier on the edges of her thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN - Periodical reminder about hoorayimuseful dot tumblr dot com (fuck you ff-net not allowing linking) where you'll find updates, renders and other associated fic-chicanery. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

* * *

"Fucking finally," Fang complained to nobody in particular, just voicing her grievances aloud. "We're coming up on the jump gate for Vallis Media in about twenty minutes, make sure you're on the bridge by the time we hit the gate."

Lightning walked briskly into the room and took her seat that had been assigned to her. She had been reading in her quarters when the alert came up. On one hand she knew that she should shut up about being impatient, when a voyage from one country to another centuries ago used to take months by sea and now they could cover the expanse of the galaxy in that time. But then again, that still didn't stop her from being impatient and wanting to get to her home sooner.

A blip on the radar appeared, drawing the lieutenant from her thoughts. The icon flashed red with a ring around it, sounding a series of high pitched beeps before the mercenary muted it with a sigh. Lightning frowned at the screen and the brunette's reaction to it.

"Fang, that was a distress beacon."

"Like I care? It's probably a trap and we've got places to be, unless you _and_ your bank balance have forgotten that." The merc retorted, not interested in the slightest at the concept of getting involved. Lightning glared and stood, placing one hand down on the control panel and grabbing the brunette's wrist with the other to stop her from accelerating away. Fang growled in frustration at the lieutenant's stubbornness. "Lightning, for fuck's sake. This isn't like Cocoon space where you can swoop in and save the day. This is Pulsian space. People fall victim to the whims of the universe every day. We don't have a militia fleet to back us up if there's a whole squadron of pirates."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Lightning retorted, angry at Fang's response. She may be a mercenary now, but she _was_ a GC officer. Surely somewhere beneath that armoured chest plate she wore beat the heart of someone who gave a damn. "Please. If it's a trap we'll handle it. If not and we leave, any innocent deaths will be on your conscious. Are you prepared for that?"

A tense silence descended in the cockpit while the two women squared each other off, Lightning unwavering in her resolve. Finally, Fang cracked, with a loud frustrated sigh. "Fuck me running, you're a hard bird to argue with. Bloody idealistic stubborn woman…" She muttered, turning the ship around to head back towards the beacon's location. Hitting the warp drive, the ship lurched forward at an incredible pace, their destination zooming up before them in mere seconds. As Fang decelerated, they came upon a small trading vessel that was under attack by pirates and Lightning only just managed to suppress the knowing, smug grin.

"Yeah alright alright, you win this round. Now how about you put your money where that damned mouth of yours is and get onto the weapons with 'Nille." The merc growled, a little annoyed that the pinkette's instincts were accurate. Lightning gave a mock salute and ran down the bridge, jumping into one of the turret control seats and firing up the weapon charges.

A few of the pirate vessels began to turn toward the Ragnarok, and Fang's face lit up. "We've been spotted. Time to cut loose!" she said with a grin, opening fire from her own controls. Turret missiles blasted forth from the front of the ship, slamming into one of the small fighters and sending it careening into a nearby asteroid. The larger ships began to fire at their craft, with Fang at the helm manoeuvring through the field to get to the small trading vessel. She hailed the ship with a private frequency and turned to the other two behind her.

"Gonna bring her up to hit these arseholes, broadside, got it? Load up the leech mines and send out the welcome mat ok 'Nille?"

"Rrrright!" the redhead replied with a giggle, punching in coordinates in her control panel. Lightning shook her head in amusement, nothing seemed to faze that girl.

" _Better not be lookin' to make this a slow death today pirates, it's been a long couple of weeks and I'm lookin' forward to the rest._ " A weary voice came over the comms.

"What? No mate, we're here to rescue you, ya daft idiot. I'm gonna shield you from the fire while I bring the ship around and open the cargo doors. You got enough skill to fly your arse in without destroying either of us in the process?"

There was a sound from the other end, somewhere between a derisive snort and a sigh of relief. " _Yeah, I can do that. Reckon I know a thing or two about flying_." He drawled down the line, sounding mildly offended.

"Time for snark later, mate. Lightning, if you could do the honours?" Fang called out, and the pinkette couldn't help the smile. She opened fire with the disruptor turrets, disabling the shields of at least three of the fighters, allowing a few clean shots at the hulls with the laser. It sliced through the side of one ship, and cut the end off another.

Vanille let off some leech mines and clapped with glee as they deployed and immediately began to seek out their targets. The two worked in tandem as Fang brought the vessel around and opened the door to the cargo bay. The trader expertly dashed into the hold and landed, allowing the brunette to shut the doors and warp out of there before she sustained any damage to the ship.

The ship's shields had taken a beating and they'd now need to be repaired at the nearest station before they continued through the jump gate. Fang growled in annoyance at the delay, though considering they got out unharmed and saved a life she supposed she could be a little happier about things. With a sigh she stood up out of her chair and made her way to the cargo hold, not particularly caring if she was followed but the other two fell into diligent step behind her.

The trader was exiting his ship as they arrived, cursing and gesturing angrily at the smoke coming off his hull. He turned as the brunette approached and bowed slightly. "Apologize for dropping in on you all uninvited like, but I thank you to the stars and back for pulling me out of the fire there."

Lightning cast a glance at Fang who, to her credit, kept her thoughts on the matter locker down with a smile and an extension of her hand. "No trouble at all, sir. Just glad we were in the neighbourhood to assist." She replied as he shook her hand. The dark man smiled and rubbed his chin with his free fingers.

"Call me Sazh. Sir just makes me feel too damn old. I was headed out to the Leviath station when I got ambushed. Good for nothin' mercs who'd rather leave you for dead... So who are you ladies anyway?"

Fang gave him a quirk of her eyebrow and folded her arms. "Just a couple of good for nothin' mercs..." She drawled, enjoying him suddenly step back and prepare to back peddle. " _And_ a GC lieutenant. Name's Fang, this is my sister Vanille and this is the Lieutenant, Lightning."

He shook their hands enthusiastically and then slumped his shoulders when he turned back to survey the damage. "Dammit. Why they always gotta attack when I'm within half a day's trip to the station…" He muttered to himself. Lightning stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, exhaling softly at the words she knew were about to spill from her mouth.

"We'll get you to the station safely, get you docked and that way you're at least in a safe haven while the ship is repaired." The lieutenant said calmly, the very pointed clearing of a throat behind her not dissuading her from focusing on the trader for the moment as he gave out grateful thanks.

"Lieutenant, a _word_ , if I may? In fact, I require _several._ " Fang's voice hissed in her ear and Lightning was hauled out of the cargo bay by the back of her collar. She was pushed up against the wall in the nearby hallway once the door had shut behind them. "Would you like to explain your line of thought in just directing my ship wherever your whims take you? I agreed to your little personal delivery mission, I did not sign up for the _bleeding heart brigade._ " The brunette seethed angrily.

Lightning gave no ground, getting right back in the mercenary's face. "You may think that the Guardian Corps have given up out here… And… And maybe you're right." She conceded, her eyes darting away from the fury in the jade irises in front of her. Steeling her resolve, she poured just as much determination into her own gaze and faced the fire of the captain. "But I haven't. I won't just give up and allow people to be left to the wastes of these territories because they chose to try to forge a life for _themselves_. If you have such a problem with my _bleeding heart_ then just add it to my tab!"

Fang studied the lieutenant's face, reminded of her own fortitude when she joined the GC, what felt like a lifetime ago. Her steeled resolve to come out to Pulsian space and do what the Corps wouldn't. Her anger deflated in the wake of Lightning's words and she closed her eyes with a forceful exhale. She couldn't fault the ideology after all. A part of her mind was warmed by her resilience, and it gave another layer of intrigue to this fiery pinkette.

"All right, all right. I've gotta pick up some supplies anyway and the shield needs repairing." She relented with a sigh, her heart picking up a few paces at the way the Lieutenant's eyes softened and the tiniest of smiles appeared at her victory. Fang turned to walk back to the bridge, but not before Lightning's voice made her pause in her steps.

"You can't tell me it didn't feel good to save a life today."

The mercenary merely gave a short harrumph and kept walking.

* * *

They spent some time at the mining station, getting necessary repairs to the shields and replenishing supplies. The run beyond the Haerii cluster would be fraught with danger, so it didn't hurt to be prepared. Fang was leaning on the railing near the docking bay, eyeing off her ship while deep in thought.

They had saved a life today, after all. At the expense of at least fifteen other pirates from a local gang. She doubted that would go unnoticed, and hailed a worker to install another turret on the starboard side. Once the money had been transferred the workers got to it, diligently manoeuvring the machines to weld the latest laser upgrades to the hull. She watched them work, always a protective eye on her pride and joy, and the workers all knew that one wrong move or shoddy workmanship would inspire her full wrath. A wayward glance spied the trader leaning up against the wall a bit further down, his expression solemn and eyes downcast. Whatever he'd been given in regards to news of his ship, Fang gathered the outcome wasn't good. She wandered over to him with a lazy wave, catching his attention.

"Hey, captain. Wanted to thank you again for pullin' my ass out of danger earlier." Sazh said, his voice tight with exhaustion. The brunette tilted her head and leant against the wall to the side of him.

"If you're so thankful why do you sound ready to swallow plasma? Prognosis not great on the vessel?"

The trader shook his head, sighing heavily. "Pretty much. The whole thing is shot to ribbons. No shields, no warp drive, I am one hundred percent screwed. I'll never make it out to Ahriman in one piece, let alone by the deadline."

Fang perked up at the planet name and she raised an eyebrow. "Ahriman, you say? Isn't that in the Bodhum system?" She asked, a nod confirming her suspicions. A broad smile crossed her face and she looked back at her ship. Maybe there were ways to get her baby working more efficiently with a larger crew after all, even if it meant she had to collect them along the way. "Tell you what, I'm already on my way to New Bodhum, how about you stash your gear with us, and then we'll drop you off on the way."

Sazh's eyes lit up and he pushed off the wall. "Y-you mean it? You'd do that?"

"Sure, I need a bit of help running a ship as large as Ragnarok anyway. With just the three of us it makes it difficult. The more the merrier, as it were."

The trader didn't even bother with the professionalism and threw his arms around the mercenary, lifting her off the ground in a massive hug. He laughed warmly and let her down when she began to struggle.

"All right all right, no need to get all sentimental on me now, old man." Fang replied, clapping him on the back. "Your vessel in the cargo bay will slow us down though, so you might make some credits taking it to salvage if you can't afford the parking fees while you're gone."

Sazh gave her a smile and gestured towards his ship. "I'm an old miner from these parts, reckon I can find a deal one way or another. When are you due out? I'll start moving my stuff over right away."

Fang gave him a dismissive wave and shook her head. "Couple of hours, but take as long as you need." She replied, watching him run off and hail down some workers to help him shift the cargo. The mercenary sighed and put a hand on her hip, suppressing the smile on her face. She turned to head towards the bar and yelped when she spied the lieutenant leaning in the doorway of the docks, watching her with a smile on her face.

"Going out of your way to help someone? Don't tell me I'm rubbing off on you already," Lightning quipped, a small grin tugging at her lips.

"Shut up, Lieutenant." Fang scowled and walked past her, muttering curses under her breath. The pinkette shrugged with a hum and followed her, struggling not to laugh at the woman's prickly demeanour.

Once Sazh had packed the last of his gear onto the ship they were ready to go. He cast one final look at his vessel before saluting the dock worker who had graciously taken it into storage for him. "I'll be back for you baby, don't you worry!" He said, scratching his beard. The dock worked rolled his eyes and walked away, sighing about obsessive pilots and admin fees.

They entered the ship and Sazh was shown his quarters, just down from Lightning's. He whistled low and nodded in appreciation, turning to face the mercenary captain with a quirk of his eyebrow. "So, this ship is impressive for three ladies to be managing, what's your secret of getting this bucket moving with such a small crew?"

"Magic and mayhem, mostly," Fang replied with a cheeky grin, heading off in the direction of the galley. The ladder sides squeaked as she slid down, meandering into the kitchen with a little bop from a tune only in her head. She got busy making food for everyone, and the others slowly joined her as the room filled with the scents of cooking.

Sazh pulled a stool up to the bench and sat down, humming with contentment at being able to relax for the first time in weeks. The life of a trader was always difficult and in constant peril, but with this ship and its crew, maybe he could actually have a smooth run. He winced at that thought, knowing that the simple manifestation of it will call the wrath of fate. Casting a glance at the mercenary as she danced around the kitchen singing softly to herself, he had a feeling that he was going to wind up in as much trouble with them as he would on his own.

"Smells good, Fang," Vanille called out as she entered the kitchen, Lightning following close behind. The lieutenant felt a little more relaxed herself after the day's events. She wondered whether the trip would have more additions to the crew, or if she really could get through the next six weeks without throttling Fang for her attitude. Maybe she would use that gym after all.

"Hey look I'm no miracle worker but I can at least make the shit they feed us out here mildly palatable." Fang said with a shrug, placing a small bowl of re-hydrated potatoes in front of the lieutenant. They had been mashed up and seasoned with a variety of spices that Lightning didn't find _entirely_ terrible. They all fell into easy conversation, Sazh sharing stories about his trading adventures, Fang and Vanille sharing hilarious stories about their own.

It was a struggle to keep the lazy smile off Lightning's face. This was the kind of thing she should have been engaging in with her colleagues at the base, instead of just trying to whittle the days away until she could go back to Bodhum. It wasn't until that moment that she'd realised how she missed the easy conversation, the laughter and ease of human companionship. Maybe the next six weeks would be easier than she thought. Fang's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Lightning found herself catching the end of what appeared to be a very raucous tale.

"-So then, he stumbles out to the courtyard in the precinct, completely naked and covered in Flan guts after the damn thing exploded!" Fang said, barely able to contain her own hysterics as she slapped the table and the others burst out laughing. She wiped a tear from her eye and nodded towards the lieutenant. "What about you, Light? Got any crazy stories from the shit you've seen in the traverse?"

Lightning ignored the shortening of her name, deciding it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would and took another mouthful of food with a thoughtful hum. She smiled as she swallowed and gave a small shrug.

"Well, there was this one time we stormed a pirate facility to find they'd been smuggling moogles, and that was when the shit really hit the fan…"


	5. Chapter 5

_AN - ONWARD. Also periodical reminder that I do renders and all that jazz on my tumblr, hoorayimuseful. tumblr. com- I just posted a one-shot for Finding The Way Home on there in response to a reader question and it was completely accidental!_

* * *

It was half a week into their trip across the traverse, as the ship sped through the Vallis Media cluster with little to no fanfare. All things considered, it was a smooth trip. That fact alone made Fang nervous. As soon as someone made a comment- and they always do- about how easy the run was, that would be when things would inevitably go wrong.

Sazh entered the door to with a yawn and a stretch, waving lazily to the others on the bridge. "Morning.. Or evening... whatever. Gotta say we're having a good run at present."

"And there it is." Fang sighed, burying her head in her hands. "Fucks sake... Sazh, didn't anyone teach you about the Fates? Don't say shit like that. You're invoking the wrath of the Goddess by making dangerous statements like that."

A dark eyebrow arched and the trader chuckled. "The Goddess, huh? Don't come by too many folk these days that have a belief in the Gods and Goddesses of old."

Fang grew defensive, her posture stiffening as she folded her arms with a huff. "What's it to you? Maybe I'm just from some backwater town on the edges of the galaxy that still holds a few traditions dear rather than bending to the whims of science and technology."

Lightning was half-listening to the banter, not interested in whatever topic the mercenary and trader were arguing about this time. A blinking light came up on the dash as Sazh asked Fang _which_ backwater town she was from and she heard the brunette groan.

"What?" She barked down the comms device, the screen flickering with a gruff face unknown to the lieutenant but judging by the sigh from Vanille, likely someone that was going to cause a... Delay.

"Oh come on, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Wouldn't know, you ain't one. What do you want?" Fang growled, her hand hovering over the terminate button. Lightning could see how much she bristled in the man's presence, and was curious about the complete turnaround from what had been the mercenary otherwise unwinding and beginning to relax more since hitting up the new sector.

"Just some friendly information, that's all. I thought you might want to know that your old business partner has come across some rather... intriguing artefacts that pertain to certain ruins out on the edge. He appears to have been contacted by your former employers to collect them, which is intensely interesting."

"Where."

The tone suddenly changed, Fang sitting a little straighter. She punched in a few numbers, transferring the communication to a personal device and quickly left the deck. Sazh rolled around in his chair, eyes following her out. "Anyone want to explain what that was about?"

"He's an old associate of Fang's. Kujata. They used to work together on runs out Archylte way. He kind of... Screwed us over on a job, left us footing the bill while he took off with the goods to sell to a higher bidder."

Lightning winced and shook her head. For a mercenary to lose out on a job so badly, she was surprised it didn't cost the brunette her life. The door hissed open again and Fang strode over and immediately started punching in coordinates before sitting back in the captain's chair. She sat pensively for a few moments in silence, resting the communicator against her mouth while deep in thought, then suddenly turned and whipped the device at Sazh's head.

"The fuck did I say about invoking the Fates?" She snapped, angry at whatever conversation had occurred off the bridge. Sazh clutched at his head in pain and glared at her.

"No need to get violent! Sounds like you would have gotten that call regardless of whether or not I opened my mouth!"

Fang growled in frustration and toyed with the controls on the panel absently. "Light, sorry. But this time it's me making the detour and it's non-negotiable."

"... Fair enough." Lightning knew better than to argue at this stage, turning away and going back to her reading of the local cluster's data feeds. "Where we headed?" She asked over her shoulder, figuring going along with whatever the plan was might lead to Fang knocking a few thousand gil off the bill if she behaved and helped.

"Small planet by the name of Dagon. There's a pirate base there that we need to infiltrate and remove the artefacts from their possession before the hand off occurs."

Lightning nodded, bringing the planetary information up on the display in front of her. Mostly desert, there were a few pockets of lakes and seas in the southern hemisphere that are spared the brunt of the burning sun while the planet rotated on an axis. "Need any help?"

"That... isn't necessary, lieutenant." Fang replied, her eyes darting between Lightning and Vanille, who suddenly looked nervous.

"Why wouldn't be be? You're about to infiltrate a base filled with people that would like to kill you. You need the help, and I'm offering. Unless you can tell me a better reason why I shouldn't?"

Vanille was shaking her head behind the pinkette, glaring holes into her sister's face. Fang pursed her lips, running her tongue along the undersides of her molars in a nervous fashion. "... Sure, if you insist..."

" _Fang,_ " Vanille warned, staring pointedly at the brunette. The mercenary waved her off and put the auto pilot functions in and nodded at her to take the conversation off deck. The two walked out, leaving Lightning staring after them in a suspicious fashion. Maybe they didn't want the GC lieutenant involved with whatever the finer details of this artefact rescue mission were.

With a hard tug Fang was pulled into a side alley away from the doors of the bridge. Vanille whirled on her before Fang could steady herself, stumbling into her sister. "Fucks sake, 'Nille, must you?"

"Are you _insane_?"

"A debatable topic at this point I'd gather. It's not like we have a choice, if we keep saying no she's going to get suspicious."

The redhead smacked her on the stomach and pulled at her own hair in frustration. "Suspicious? How much worse do you think it's going to be when she realised she helped us steal artefacts from under her own jurisdiction? She is going to kill you and claim self-defence for the paperwork!"

A heavy sigh escaped Fang's lips as she looked back towards the door to the bridge. "Ain't like we have much of a choice at this point little sparrow. We'll just have to deal with it when it comes. Besides, if she does kill me you get the ship so, win win, right?"

"If _I_ don't kill you first..." Vanille muttered, following her sister back onto the deck. The doors opened with a hiss and Fang gestured at the trader with a wink.

"Alright Sazh, I need you back up here on the long range scanners while we're planet side. Keep an eye out for any suspicious communications, or signals to and from the planet." Fang said as she motioned to Vanille and Lightning to follow her to the shuttle bay. The redhead switched on the stealth unit for their ship before leaving Sazh to his own devices, the trader looking nervous about being left alone with a giant ship.

Fang took a detour to the armoury and started rummaging through the lockers to find something that would suit the lieutenant, her spacer suit from the busted craft in the hangar no match for planetary missions. "Here, Sunshine. Try this one, hopefully it'll fit. I picked it up back at the last fuel point."

It was a plated armour similar to what Fang wore about the ship from time to time, only built for more rugged terrain. And battle. Definitely battle, Lightning noted as she stood behind the open locker door and quickly changed. She tested the movement and wasn't entirely impressed with the baggy sections. "Well it was a nice try but it's too big, I'll have to take the risk with my own flight gear."

A tanned hand slid around the locker door and Fang came into view, grin plastered on her face. "Well that...That could likely fit two people in there... While a part of me would _love_ to attempt that, we've got places to be." She drawled with a chuckle, taking Lightning by the hand and pressing a button on the lieutenant's wrist. With a hissing sound the suit vacuum sealed, snug around Lightning's body. It now felt like an extension to her compression suit, her movements much more fluid.

"Oh. That's... Smart."

Fang hummed appreciatively and motioned for the pinkette to follow. "Now speaking of tight squeezes..." She muttered to herself as they entered the hangar. Vanille was already in the cockpit of her small craft, impatiently waiting for them both.

"Come on already!"

Once the cockpit entrance had shut and sealed, Lightning finally understood the reason for Fang's flippant comment regarding tight spaces. The two women ended up pressed up against each other behind Vanille's pilot seat, in such a manner that the lieutenant was practically in Fang's lap. Lightning ground her teeth in her head and closed her eyes, practically feeling the heat of the flirtatious grin radiating from the mercenary's lips.

"Well then..."

"Not. One. Word." Lightning growled in warning, stifling a yelp as Fang slid a hand around her waist and chuckled low in her throat.

"But I have more than one word... Many words. And possibly accompanied by a variety of breathless sounds."

" _Fang..._ "

Vanille threw a random bit of scrap metal over her shoulder, hitting her sister in the head. "If you could maybe not antagonize the armed lieutenant inside my ship? I'd like to make it to Dagon and back without being blown from the cosmos..."

A pout settled on Fang's face as she slowly removed her hand from the pinkette's waist before she was murdered. Lightning stared straight ahead, refusing to say a word. They remained silent as Vanille slowly edged her ship out of the bay and made her descent towards the planet's surface. The lieutenant closed her eyes, exhaling forcefully through her nose. She could feel the strain of Fang's muscles against her as the woman fought not to fidget.

 _Don't be a smartass. Don't be a smartass. Just shut up and don't-_

"You're thinking about those breathless sounds aren't you?"

"God _DAMMIT FANG._ "

* * *

The small craft touched down on the edge of the desert, a click away from the base. Vanille had found a perfect spot nestled amongst the dunes, so it wouldn't be spotted from a distance. After they all quickly put on their helmets she escaped the cockpit with a groan, finally free of the two bickering women that had fought the entire way down to the surface. Placing her hands on her hips she turned and glared at them both, not that they could see from beneath the visor.

"I swear to god I will throw you into a black hole if you two don't shut up. We're meant to be stealthy here! So be quiet and be stealthy!"

Fang and Lightning stepped back from each other, feeling somewhat immature. The grin didn't leave the mercenary's face however, and Lightning began to suspect that she had unwittingly become a new form of entertainment. No further words were spoken however until they got to the edge of a dune that overlooked the facility. Fang hummed to herself as she contemplated the base.

"Huh. This has a similar build to one I've raided in the past." Lightning piped up behind her. Fang turned to regard the lieutenant and nodded.

"Alright, Lighting. This is your show. We need to get in, grab the artefacts and get out without making too much noise. If you're familiar with the layouts of these pre-fabs then I defer to you."

It wasn't something Lightning expected at all. She ran her tongue over her lips in thought, ignoring how Fang's eyes followed the motion. "Alright then. With me." They all moved in a small formation to the outskirts of the compound, Lightning all the while feeling a little off-kilter from the natural gravity of the world. Less than her home, it made her feel feather-light, like all it would take is a gentle breeze to send her soaring across the dunes in a potentially fatal fashion.

Dagon was a dry and desolate planet, from her readings before they descended was devoid of almost all water and life. There would be no reason to colonize this place, which made barren worlds like this perfect for criminals to hide or set up bases. Lightning checked her weapon before they got too close, the bright sun and thin atmosphere making her sweat beneath the armour. Vanille made quick work of the security and bypassed the door locks to get them inside.

As the airlock shut and the room pressurised Lightning removed her helmet with a sigh of relief. Climate control was a beautiful thing, and she didn't feel so stifled. Fang tapped her on the shoulder and gave her a headpiece to hook over her ear that lit up with a variety of display information when it activated. "Wow. This is impressive. Another of Vanille's?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as holographic plates lit up over the mercenary's armour.

"You know it. She's a talented little sparrow isn't she? There's a display that lights up on the outward side as well to obscure your identity. That's…. Going to be required here." Fang pressed a button on the neck of her suit and a hologram flickered up in front of her face of a bright red skull, glitching and shifting constantly to obscure her face from anyone who would try to identify her.

Lightning mirrored the action, a bright green dragon maw appearing across her visor, but without obscuring her vision. "Clever." She mused, moving forward into the facility with her weapon at the ready. They crept down the corridor, content to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary.

A door to the side slid open, a mercenary stepping out into the hallway while completely oblivious of his surroundings. Fang rushed up to him and stuck her hand against his chest, pushing him back into the room with a gentle shushing against his struggling. Lightning couldn't figure out how she'd managed to silence him so quickly until she saw an energy blade extracted from his ribs as Fang pulled her hand back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She whispered angrily, gripping her weapon tighter. Fang turned to her with a menacing glare and the blade vanished, the blood that covered it simply evaporating in a steaming hiss.

"Taking care of the problem, Lieutenant. Let's keep going." Fang moved to stride past her but was halted by firm fingers gripping her bicep.

"We will not take lives. Do you hear me? Incapacitate. Do not kill. If you kill again, I will consider this entire trip a bust. I will arrest you for murder and drag you back to Sanctum space myself."

Fang narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth. "Are you fucking kidding m-"

"Enough!" Vanille interjected, getting in her sister's face. "She's right, Fang. _We_ don't need any more heat than necessary at this point, especially with this cargo. I'd really like to not have half the mercenaries in the galaxy coming after us when they put a seven figure bounty on our heads for multiple counts of _murdering their friends_!"

Knowing she was outnumbered, she bowed with all the sarcasm she could manage within the movement and holstered her pistol. "Fine." She grumbled, moving back out into the hallway. Lightning frowned and followed, determined to get things back under control. This rapid shift in demeanour in the Pulsian unsettled her, and it started back on the ship with that communication from their old business partner.

"Hey, wait up." Lighting called out quietly, jogging to catch up. At first she didn't think the mercenary was going to slow down, but then her pace came to a stop near a large storage room just off the hallway. Fang pulled up against the side of the door, peering around on the search for other potential enemies. Lightning moved beside her and against her better judgement, reached out and touched Fang gently on the arm. She could just barely make out the jade eyes staring at her from behind the flickering skull motif, and swallowed nervously. "What's this really about?"

The mercenary's expression fell, her eyes darting to the floor. "It's… Nothing. Just… Kujata rattles me, that's all." The lie was obvious, but Lightning didn't comment on it. There would be time to dissect the greater intricacies of Fang's mind later, not while they were in the middle of a potential hot zone.

Vanille pressed a few buttons on the holopad illuminated from her arm plate, and she suddenly vanished. "A cloaking device. You kidding? _How_ has Psicom not thrown millions at her to develop for them?"

"They did. She turned it down." Fang muttered as she watched the shimmering space where Vanille was skip around. "We playing decoy 'Nille?"

"Yep! Move your arse before they shoot it." The redhead replied before racing into the warehouse. Fang sighed and loaded her pistol's stun mod, waving it in front of the Lieutenant for good measure.

"Come on Sunshine, let's go make some noise. Then maybe after... I'll explain."

They both whirled around the corner and Fang let off a flashbang, sending the mercenaries within scattering with a panicked yell. Fang raced inside and opened fire, dropping the two nearest armoured soldiers. Lightning did a check to make sure they were still breathing and that the brunette had indeed put the stun setting on. Relieved that for the time being her word was being kept, Lightning moved further into the enormous room and started scoping out the other mercenaries.

There were at least a half dozen running around, trying to get into better positions to take on the intruders. Lightning's visor lit up with their silhouettes and displayed their locations for her on a small corner of her vision. Sparing a moment to wonder if Vanille would let her keep this after they were done, she whirled around a crate and let off a volley of stun shots. A few went wide but there were some hits, dropping two of them as the numbing agents settled in and provided temporary paralysis.

"Where you at little sparrow?" Fang asked down her comms device, looking for any signs of her sister while she cracked a merc in the face with the butt of her pistol.

" _Um... I'm here. Though you may want to hurry the hell up and sort the last of these goons out. You need to see this._ "

"Roger that," Fang replied, slicing through another mercenary's rifle with her energy blade. He fell back in a panic and for a moment he likely thought he was going to be cleaved in two. For a moment Fang considered it, before yanking him forward by the front of his armour, waving the blade in his face. "You're lucky I'm a woman of my word, mate." She growled, dropping him and giving him a firm kick to the head.

When Fang turned she found Lightning staring at her and she pulled her gun and aimed it just past her head. The stun brushed past her ear and hit the advancing merc in the face, sending him flying backwards into nearby crates. "Sorry, Sunshine. Heat of the moment."

Lightning just rolled her eyes and pulled her weapon on the brunette, firing just beside her and collapsing a shelf that sent containers smashing into the last of the mercenaries. "Heat of the moment." The pinkette drawled with a twitch of an eyebrow.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Oi, 'Nille where you at?"

The redhead materialised over by a stack of crates looking nervous. Lightning and Fang jogged over to inspect their prize. While the symbols meant nothing to the Lieutenant she heard the catch in Fang's throat, and how upset she looked when she delicately took a leather-bound book in her hands.

"Bastards… Is nothing sacred anymore?" The brunette spat with a snarl, her hands shaking. Lightning narrowed her eyes at the cargo, trying to figure out what about these goods had caused such distress. What she noticed instead was the clear logo stamped on the side of the crate the two women were rifling through and paled at the sight.

"Is that… A Psicom logo?" Lightning asked, her voice wavering on the point of rage. Fang's eyes darted to her own and back to the crate. She didn't answer. "Fang, have you had us raid a fucking _Psicom facility_?"

"No, Etro's fucking gate, no. I wouldn't put you in that position, Lightning. Etro. No." Fang replied, exasperated. Lightning's breathing slowed down, barely skirting the edges of calm.

"But we _might_ be stealing these back from them."

Fang didn't have time to prepare for the backhand that caught her on the jaw from the furious Lieutenant.


	6. Chapter 6

"Start explaining. Or I will ensure the next punch _will_ break your jaw."

Fang rubbed at her face gingerly, sitting in the med bay of their ship while Vanille silently patched her up. The two siblings gave a nervous glance at each other and seemed to have a conversation entirely in their expressions alone.

"It's… Complicated." Fang finally responded, wincing as the Lieutenant leant in close.

"Then _uncomplicated it._ "

The mercenary sighed, gently batting Vanille away as she slid off the med bench. She gestured for Lightning to follow and left the room, heading over to where they had stashed a bunch of cargo they had netted from the base. Fang rifled through until she found a small leather bound book, the one that had caught her eye earlier. With a shaking hand she handed it over to the pinkette, who took it with a raised eyebrow.

"How… How much do you know about the early pioneers? The old wars?"

"The War of Transgression? Enough, they teach it in history class in school."

A bitter, wry chuckle came from Fang, the mercenary looking displeased. "What's that thing they say? Those who win the war get to write the history? These artefacts are from a _backwater_ system called Valhalla. A particular place on a particular planet. It's where Sanctum took its abundant levels of cruelty to a whole new level."

The Valhalla Nebula wasn't something that rang any bells that Lightning could recall, and she listened as she flipped through the book delicately, not wanting to damage anything. Given that she had no idea of what the text said, most of it was just looking at something fascinating and old. Much of the meaning hovered in the air, presumably waiting on Fang's explanation.

"During the war, Sanctum was getting the upper hand over the Pulsian sectors, and Valhalla was one of the last stands. When that inevitably fell, Sanctum took their prizes. Slaves from some planets, experiments for others." Fang's jaw tightened, her eyes fixed firmly on the pages that Lightning was gently perusing as she listened. "There was a town on one planet that they decided to run tests on their hyperspace stasis concepts. It… Didn't go as planned. From what we can tell…"

There was a gasp as Lightning got to a page scribbled in Pulsian writing but with a faded photo glued onto it, of the two siblings she was travelling with. Her eyes darted up to meet the sorrow-filled jade irises staring back at her. "From what we can tell, Vanille and I are the only ones who survived."

Lightning's jaw dropped, in utter shock. "Y… You and Vanille are…"

"The oldest hags in the cosmos at this point, I'd imagine. We woke up about five years ago, the facility in ruins. It took us just shy of a year with non stop work but... We managed to scrap together this old beast from the ship yards and get off the Oerba. Prior to that, I think we'd been asleep for about five hundred years by Vanille's math."

Very grateful for there being a chair behind her, Lightning fell into it as her legs gave out on her. "This is impossible. How is this possible? There's no mention of Sanctum even being out that far, let alone conducting experiments and trafficking. And an entire nebula that isn't even on the star charts? Where is the jump gate?"

"Yeah well, now you know why we were so keen to get our shit back. It isn't exactly stealing when it's our stuff to begin with." Fang sighed, a little defensive over getting struck in the jaw for getting her own possessions back. "A lot of Vanille's notes are in there for a lot of her inventions before we got stuck in their stasis pods. Those are definitely things we don't want getting into the wrong hands. But... Thank you. For helping I mean. It wasn't right of me to keep you in the dark like that, and even though it's probably put you in a difficult position, I appreciate you helping us. And naturally, your discretion. I don't fancy too many folks would be comfortable knowing there's a couple of ladies running around the sectors that are half a millennia old."

The revelations left Lightning reeling. She'd never even heard of this nebula, Valhalla, let alone thought it possible to be looking at a centuries old survivor of it. She realised what she was holding was Fang's journal. She sighed, looking at the other crates. "Is there anything else in there that isn't yours? Anything that can be returned to the Guardian Corps?"

"Dunno, we'll have to catalogue everything and see. You uh, want to give me a hand?" Fang asked, hesitant and uncharacteristically shy following her reveal to the lieutenant. Lightning nodded, still eying her with a little suspicion, but more from the wayward thoughts of what else could possibly go wrong on this trip. The pinkette dared not voice that allowed, and damn herself for more problems after Fang's earlier warnings.

The two worked quietly through the cargo, Fang pausing occasionally to remark about a particular item or tell Lightning a story about anything found. A lot of Vanille's notes, invention blueprints and sketches, a few cultural artefacts and a case with a royal blue satin fabric that had Fang blushing to her roots.

"Uhhh... That's uh... Traditional ceremonial wear. An Oerban sari, for the chief hunter of the Yun clan."

Lightning ran a delicate hand over the smooth garment and smiled warmly. "Yours?"

"Hell no," Fang scoffed, waving her hands dismissively. "I mean, maybe it could have been one day. In another life maybe I did wear it. But sadly not this one. Fate had other things in store for us." A shiny surface caught her eye as she spoke, and she moved some papers in the crate and grinned wide. "No shit, they managed to find an Oracle drive. I'll be giving this to Vanille, she'll be able to make some decent upgrades out of that."

If Lightning had heard her she didn't show it, her gaze transfixed on a small crystal suspended in a glass case from the crate she was sorting through. It hummed, but not audibly. She could hear it in her head as she gently reached in and took the casing.

"Hey, Lightning, what do you think about this?" Fang asked, holding up a small statue with a grin. When the lieutenant once again didn't respond she glanced over to find her staring at the small, glowing crystal in the casing she held. "No way, is that... That's a bloody Numen. Where the hell did they find... Light?"

Still not responding, though there was a small gasp from the lieutenant's lips as the case opened on its own and the crystal hovered in the air above her palm. "Wait, Lightning, don't touch…" Fang stepped forward and grabbed at Lightning's wrist, trying to get her attention. She too found herself mesmerized as the humming reached her own head, building into a crescendo that left both their ears ringing.

Fang's mind was suddenly assaulted with voices and images, a terrifying beast swallowing whole planets. Lightning's eyes rolled back into her head as she was met with the same vision. There were monstrous apparitions of what appeared to be humanoid creatures, and the same Cie'th ship she had seen back on her patrol that sent her on this fateful voyage. She gripped onto Fang's right arm in an attempt to steady herself but it would be too late. With a flash of light the crystal exploded, sending them both flying back into the cargo bay wall. They hit the steel hard and crumpled to the floor, Fang barely holding onto consciousness.

With her vision swimming, Fang groaned and managed to get onto her hands and knees, crawling over to the lieutenant. Her head pounded and her breath was shallow, trying to still the rising panic that the... Whatever the hell that was... Had just killed her passenger.

Lightning returned to consciousness feeling warm, with two calloused hands cupping her face. Her eyes fluttered open to find Fang hovering close over her, looking incredibly worried. "Hi." She croaked, her throat dry and making it hurt to breathe. Fang heaved a sigh of relief and slumped down, pressing her head into the lieutenant's shoulder.

"Gods, don't scare me like that. Are you alright?" Fang asked, her voice shaking as she checked the pinkette over for signs of injury. Lightning nodded slowly, feeling fuzzy and the edges of a migraine coming into her awareness.

"What... Happened...?"

Fang bit her lip in worry, looking at the mild scorch marks on the floor and marvelling at how they got out of that explosion unscathed. "You found a Numen. Those things were myth and legend, or so I thought. They were allegedly the gifts of the gods themselves, to grant people the power to become an Exemplar, a Valkyrie as it were. An avatar of strength, an embodiment of the will of the gods."

Lightning groaned as she tried to stand, falling back against the wall on shaky legs. "I guess the embodiment of the gods is a headache then."

With a quiet chuckle, Fang helped Lightning away from the wall and limped along to take the lieutenant to her quarters. "If you've read any of the old mythology, you'd be more amused at that statement than you'd think. Hang on, let me..." With a swift movement she scooped up Lightning in her arms, barely getting anything beyond a small squeak of protest. Fang carried her slowly to her quarters and gently placed her on the bed, feeling dizzier with every step she took.

"Fang? Are you alright?" Lightning asked weakly, trying to roll over as her vision clouded over. She slumped forward and lost consciousness, half hanging off the bed.

"Fine sunshine, I'm just fine..." The mercenary replied, before collapsing on the ground by the bed.

A gentle slap started to rouse Fang and she groaned quietly at the attention, until the gentle slapping became more insistent and a lot firmer. "Hey! Wake up!" Came Vanille's voice, piercing into her awareness. Fang sat up with a gasp, trying to get her bearings and figure out how she ended up in the floor in Lightning's quarters. The lieutenant in question was sitting up on her bed, her back against the wall looking pale.

"Etro's bloody Gate... I feel like I got hit by a freighter. Lieutenant, your banned from sorting duty."

Lightning glanced over looking unimpressed. "This is my fault how exactly? How the hell was I supposed to know that there would be an exploding crystal in there?"

"An exploding _what?_ " Vanille exclaimed, grabbing Fang by the collar. The brunette sat back and peeled her sister from her iron grip.

"We found what appeared to be a Numen in the crates. Who knows how they came across it." She said, attempting to reassure her. If anything it only made it worse, was Vanille began to throttle her.

"Are you kidding me? A Numen? And you both touched it?"

"We're _fine_ , 'Nille. We ain't sprouting extra appendages or shooting fire from our eye sockets, so just calm the hell down. Nothing happened."

"You were both _unconscious._ "

Lightning cleared her throat and drew their attention. "We need to take this information to the nearest Guardian Corps office. There'll be one in the Sunleth cluster where we can discuss this."

Jade eyes darted up to hers and she watched Fang stagger to her feet. The mercenary looked as woozy as she felt, especially when she fell back against the desk. "Damn it to hell... Lightning, I don't know if that's such a good idea. I know you work for them and all, but this is probably a little above their pay grade... I don't want to end up on a lab table being dissected alongside my sister because we happen to have survived a classified experiment."

It was a valid point. Lightning didn't know where to begin to explain that particular detail, but then there were the images she saw, the voices in her mind from the crystal... Nope, couldn't tell the Captain that either. They'll escort her off the ship and straight into a padded cell.

"... Fine. At least let me contact my superior. I can trust him with some of the... Less complicated details."

Fang scratched at her right arm nervously. She felt like she was burning up. Tugging at the collar of her suit for relief, she noticed that Lightning also had a thin sheen of sweat across her forehead, plastering her hair to her face. _By the Far Reaches_ , she cursed to herself and hoped she hadn't caught an alien virus from that crate. That'd be all either of them needed. "I um... I just need to... Yeah. That will be fine. Gods, Vanille. Can you check the climate controls when you have a chance? It's hot as hell in here."

The redhead just looked at her oddly before making an excuse to go set up the comms device so the Lieutenant could try to contact her superior. Fang watched Lightning carefully and stood on shaky legs. "Are... Are you ok?" she asked, concerned about what had just transpired.

"You saw the same thing I did, didn't you? What... Do you think?" Lightning replied, pausing in her own question as a wave of nausea passed over her. "You and I are going to have serious words if those artefacts have made us sick."

"Probably just a mild concussion. Hopefully." Fang mumbled, not waiting for the lieutenant to follow her out to the bridge. Vanille had already finished setting up the comms device and configured the overrides and was sitting back at her own console, reading through the Analects they'd recovered with a frown on her face. Taking a cursory glance around the bridge, it didn't take long for Lightning to figure out that Fang wasn't going anywhere and would be present for this conversation.

"It's going to be like that, huh?"

"Sorry, Sunshine. But I don't want any unintended blurting out that could compromise our... Standing."

Lightning huffed and punched in the commlink ID, waiting for the station to answer. One of the dispatch operators answered, immediately angry at what they would likely assume was a prank call. " _Civilian, this is a secure Corps channel, if you have an emergency you need to contact commlink ID 342-"_

"I'm aware of the protocols, officer," Lightning grated, annoyed at the brash nature of the call already. She took a breath and stole a glance back at Fang before continuing. She'd previously given nothing but her nickname away to the mercenary, and there was something about Fang knowing her true name that made her uncomfortable. "This is Lieutenant Claire Farron, ID 276-FX3I requesting an immediate transfer to station Captain Amodar to inform him of my status of not being _dead_."

The static-ridden image of the officer looked a little taken aback, and simply muttered a "Yes ma'am." And placed the lieutenant on hold. Fang snorted in the background, laughing at the corps officer being put in his place. After a few minutes of waiting, a rough image appeared on the screen, filled with the captain's moustache as he pulled the device close to his face.

" _By the void I can barely make anything out. Farron?"_

"It's me, sir. I apologise for the delay in getting back from my patrol." Lightning drawled, a relieved smile washing over her superior. The device was placed down on the desk and Amodar leant back in his chair.

" _Gods Farron. You've had me worried. Your sister was in my office a few weeks ago explaining everything, I still have a hard time believing it. You're really that far out?"_

"We are up to the Vallis Media cluster at this point, sir. This is the captain of the vessel I am with, who has graciously been escorting me home." She gestured to Fang standing behind her, who gave a lazy salute at the acknowledgement. The two spared a glace at one another for a moment, before Lightning turned back and continued, choosing her words carefully. "There has been a situation where we came across an illegal facility on the planet Dagon, where pirates appear to have been smuggling cargo taken from Psicom."

Amodar chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. " _Still playing cop even all the way out there, hey Farron? Wait. Did you just say Psicom_?"

Lightning nodded slowly, looking uneasy and practically sensing the tension bleeding from the mercenary behind her. "There's more sir. The cargo itself seems to be of... Questionable origin and nature." Her captain moved forward, pressing his folded hands against his mouth. "N-nothing definitive at this stage. Just... A few artefacts from an abandoned settlement in the far reaches. Certain items that would have... Cultural implications from others in Pulsian space if it came to light that Sanctum representatives were taking them."

A loud hum came from Amodar as his moustache twitched. " _Don't get involved, Farron. Especially when you're out in open space with zero backup._ "

"I'd like to think she has it, _captain_." Fang interjected from behind Lightning, the Lieutenant giving her a pleading look for silence, which of course was dutifully ignored. "If she won't report it to the Pulsian council, you can bet your arse that I will."

The Captain sighed, shaking his head in resignation. " _Gather anything from the facility that wouldn't be deemed sensitive and store it in the crate. Tell them the rest was destroyed by the pirates. There's a Psicom facility in Augusta, just off the Taejin nebula. I'll get you clearance so you can get rid of the cargo they may well be looking for. If you hit Sanctum space and are caught with it, it won't mean good things for your companions._ "

"Yes sir. I'll be in touch when I can. Pass along a message to my sister to let her know I'm ok." Lightning replied, rubbing her temples as her head pounded. The communication ended and the lieutenant's shoulders sagged. "As if this trip couldn't get any more damn complicated."

Fang threw her hands in the air and walked out of the bridge, muttering about how nobody on the ship seemed to care about drawing the ire of the gods with statements like that. Shaking her head to try to clear the fuzz, Lightning made her way to the showers to clean up, hearing a strange static on the edges of her awareness. "Concussions are all I need going into a Psicom Station..." She muttered to herself, drying off and getting changed into the slacks and hoodie she was offered upon boarding.

Instead of heading back to her quarters, Lightning was drawn unconsciously back towards the cargo bay. Her body felt like it was on fire despite the cool shower she had taken earlier. The humming grew louder as she approached the doors and Lightning squinted as she opened the doors. She was surprised to find Fang in there, pacing fearlessly with one hand pressed against her head.

Fang's head snapped up at the intrusion and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the lieutenant. The brunette raced over and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her towards the centre of the room. "Wait, Fang, what's going on?"

"You can't hear that? The whispering?"

"Ok, it's definitely a concussion. How about we go back to our respective quarters and... And..."

 _Hello._

"There! There it was again! Please tell me you heard that." Fang exclaimed, gripping Lightning by the shoulders. The extra contact seemed to serve in making the noise louder, before suddenly dying off and leaving a silent void. The two women glanced around, Fang paling at something behind the Lieutenant. "What is... That...?"

Lightning turned and choked on her own breath as there was a flickering image of an ethereal woman standing before them. It seemed more like a projection than an apparition, and they both looked around for the light source. The woman wore long robes and a helm upon her head, adorned with engravings and inscriptions that seemed to shimmer and shift as she moved.

 _Hello._

"H-Hello?" Lightning replied, nervous and uncertain. The projection appeared to smile and bow before them.

 _Hello. I am Etro._


	7. Chapter 7

_AN - OH crap I have a lot of people coming up for this wedding from tomorrow, so I am up until 2am punching this out so I can at least get SOMETHING TO YOU before I vanish for a week._

* * *

"This is it. I knew it'd catch up with me eventually. The strain of long haul space travel has finally sent me 'round the bend. Apparitions of ghost ladies and space fever. Etro I'm doomed." Fang groaned, pressing her palms against her head.

 _You are not doomed, merely a moment of adjustment to my presence is required._

"Shush you!"

"Fang, I hear it as well." Lightning said quietly, drawing a shaky breath. She stepped forward, staring at the blue flickering light emanating from the centre of the room and tilted her head. "What are you?"

 _I am Etro._

"As in the Goddess?"

There was a pause before the woman smiled. She shrank in size until she became nothing more than a blue sphere, lazily floating in the air. _Incorrect. I am an Eidolon Tactical Reconnaissance Operator. The acronym having a resemblance to the name of the Goddess of Death is inconsequential, though likely done deliberately by my creators._

Fang breathed a loud exhale and sat down on the ground, looking no less dumbfounded by the discovery. "Bloody hell, An Eidolon Program? That's impossible. You were all wiped out."

 _Incorrect. I am online, therefore the presumption I have been wiped out is false._

Lightning smacked Fang on the stomach to get her attention, edging on a rage-fuelled breakdown. "Do you want to explain what the hell is going on? Why is there a god standing in the cargo bay talking in our heads?"

"Not a god, a Virtual Intelligence. They were used as warfare suites. Highly advanced tactical systems that could merge with a suit of armour, a ship… But they were wiped out and destroyed when it looked like we were losing the war. Didn't want this tech getting in the hands of the enemy." Fang explained, eyeing the floating orb carefully. She swallowed hard and reached for it, watching as it was drawn to her fingertips. It emitted warmth somehow, even though it was just a projection, and she felt it bloom in her chest. "But there were rumours that one survived. Even escaped. Which tells me you're more than just a normal VI. Are you aware, Etro?"

The orb dashed away from her hand, seemingly trying to escape. Lightning watched the scene playing out with detached fascination, especially how calm Fang seemed to be throughout all this.

 _Please… Don't… Deactivate me. It has been dark for… So long…_

Even Lightning felt the tugging at her chest and she watched Fang scratch at her upper arm. "You seem more… Versed in this area of expertise. What do you think?" She asked the mercenary, who appeared to be lost in thought. Fang winced at the sound of the Lieutenant's voice and shifted over towards her.

"It's… Not an easy thing to deactivate an Eidolon once it's merged. Especially not like this." She replied, waiting for the realisation to sink in for the pinkette. Lightning's eyes widened and she slowly laid herself down on the cold steel floor of the cargo bay, lest the dizziness she felt overwhelm her. Or the fury at the situation she found herself in. Whichever came first at this point.

"The explosion. That was the Eidolon construct… _Merging?_ We weren't wearing any armour, Fang!"

 _I am sorry I have caused you distress. I... Didn't know what other path to take. I could let Sanctum take me._

Lightning sat up at the words reverberating in her skull, and she stared at the orb. The visions were brought to the surface again, of the monstrous creatures. The word _Cie'th_ assaulted her thoughts and she rubbed her temples in frustration. The mercenary groaned and shook her head like it would do something to clear her thoughts.

"Dial back the visions, Etro, you're giving me a bloody headache." Fang complained, getting to her feet and helping the Lieutenant up. "The Cie'th. What are they?" The orb faltered in its hovering, as if nervous to answer. It did a small circuit before dipping in height. It seemed to be pacing while it gathered its thoughts, a fact that fascinated both women.

 _They are what's left of those who failed to wake from stasis. I had been attempting_ _to overwrite the experiment. I couldn't save everyone. I failed to save everyone._

Fang took a couple of steps back, visibly shaken. "The stasis project was nothing to do with actual stasis? Sanctum was trying to turn us into... Those monsters?"

 _Correct._

Even Lightning had to take a moment to collect herself. "So Vanille and Fang are the ones you saved?"

 _Amongst others. Only a small handful._

That news seemed to park the mercenary up, her back straightening. "There's more of us out there? How many? There was nobody else in the facility or in the ruins of Oerba when we woke up." She observed with narrowed eyes. The orb floated in silence for a few moments, before dimming a little.

 _No more than twenty, including yourselves. I… I am sorry. If it is alright, I may go offline for a while, I need to rest after the merge._

The apparition flickered and disappeared, leaving Fang and Lightning in the darkness. The Lieutenant sighed and folded her arms, barely able to make out the brunette in the dim light. "Who would have thought a routine patrol could get so… Complicated." She muttered to herself. When Fang didn't respond, she reached out towards the silhouette she knew was the mercenary standing next to her. She felt the trembling in Fang's shoulder and then promptly heard a sniff. "Fang, are you alright?"

"It's… Bittersweet. On one hand I'm relieved that 'Nille and I weren't the only ones that got out but… That only a handful were saved from my entire home…" Fang replied with a strained voice. Lightning moved closer and put an awkward arm around her, unsure of what else she could do to offer the merc comfort.

So much of Fang's behaviour, attitude and callousness suddenly made more sense in the wake of the recent revelations. A lack of attachment to anyone around her beyond Vanille meant that she wouldn't have to go through losing anyone all over again. Every time Fang started to come out of her shell it was like she reminded herself that she wasn't meant to get familiar with anyone else and shut herself off again. Lightning found kinship in that perspective, with how she cut people off in the GC, didn't want to get to know them and just keep to herself. It took falling through a vortex and almost dying to realise how stupid that was, and how lonely it made her.

"Come on. Let's get some rest ourselves, Fang. I think we need it after today." Lightning said quietly, gently urging her to head towards the exit. Leading Fang to the elevator, Lightning pressed the button for the cabin and let the door's close. The dim lightning on the night cycle allowed her to just make out the exhausted and strained expression on Fang's face, and Lightning averted her gaze when Fang turned to face her.

"I never meant for all… This." The brunette said, her voice barely audible. "I just wanted to make a difference, to keep my home safe. My family, safe. Instead I end up taking a stasis nap for half a century while Sanctum turned my people into monsters. Sorry, Light. Seems you've inadvertently been dragged into a real shitfight."

Lightning shook her head and stepped out of the elevator, arriving at their destination. "Not your fault, I mean I dragged you into it first from asking you to help get me home. So maybe we're even."

"Ha. Maybe."

They stepped into Fang's cabin and Lightning took a glance around at the stockpiles of old books, artefacts and artwork decorating the walls. It managed to give the quarters an old world feel, a hint of nostalgia mixed with the fierce determination to preserve a culture. There were a few items she recognised that had come up in theft reports in recent months, but given she knew the true nature of the captain now, she couldn't really say they were stolen when Fang was merely taking back what belonged to her people.

"I'll take the bridge watch tonight, Fang. You get some rest." Lightning said, heading back over to the door. The brunette followed her, reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

"Maybe we'll get Sazh to take the shift. Considering we've got an AI in our bloodstream I don't want to… That is to say I… Uh…"

Lightning's eyes darted over the Pulsian's form, curious as to why she could tell that Fang's heartrate had sped up and her temperature had risen. "You don't want to be alone." She finished the sentence for her. Fang merely nodded, caught somewhere between fear for herself and concern for the Lieutenant.

"I'll… I'll take the couch, over there. You can have the bed. No arguments, Lieutenant Farron." Fang moved to a shelf and pulled out a spare blanket, throwing it over herself as she flopped onto the nearby couch in the spacious quarters. Lightning watched her get comfortable and fall asleep with no further commentary, and lay back and let sleep take her, wondering what the next day would bring in this in increasingly complicated journey.

* * *

Of the things that could have greeted Lightning the following morning, the sight of Fang's collarbone wasn't one of the expected things by a long shot. She blinked the dust from her eyes, confused and expecting to find that Fang had come over in the middle of the night back to her bed, but then she realised she was on the couch with the mercenary.

"What the..." Lightning croaked, feeling Fang shift beneath her.

"Oh. Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Confused. Very confused. How did I end up over here?" The Lieutenant asked, her eyes widening as she realised Fang's arm was wound tight around her side.

"You don't remember? Damn you must have... Hm. I woke up to you crying in your sleep. Then you quietened down, got out of bed, walked over here and got under the blankets."

Lightning winced, wishing for a black hole to leap into right about now. "I... Sleep walk. I'm so sorry." Fang laughed at the excuse, and couldn't help but squeeze the Lieutenant closer. She brushed some of the pale hair away from the cerulean gaze and smiled softly.

"You're alright, love. I wouldn't worry about it. You've... Had a rough couple of weeks. I'm surprised you've gone this long without a nervous breakdown. But it's fine. Any time you need to use me for a shoulder to lean on… Or a pillow to sleep on, I'm here." She replied, helping Lightning off the couch. The Lieutenant managed to find it within herself to laugh at the terrible joke, rather than bristle.

Fang had to admit she was feeling a little better after the night's rest, and was feeling up for a little more investigation. "Hey, Etro. You there?"

 _Yes, I am._

The voice in their heads felt a little less terrifying, but she still felt Lightning tense beside her nonetheless. "So, I've been thinking since last night," Fang began, choosing her words carefully, "You uh, your programming usually only lets you merge with ships and synth armour. We weren't wearing any and yet... Well here we are. Did you know you could merge with humans?"

 _I... You have a proximity warning_.

"Nice friggin' save, Etro. But this isn't over, you're stuck in our heads and we want answers." Fang grumbled and raced to the bridge, with Lightning close on her heels. They entered through the doors, startling Vanille who had been seated at the console, idly flipping through a datapad.

"Jeez, some warning next time? What gives?"

"What gives? What _gives?_ What is the status? Why do we have a proximity warning?" Fang asked, incredulous. She received an equally disbelieving stare from her sister, who gave her a once over like she'd lost her mind.

"So, I think I'm going to drag you back to the med bay to be scanned. There is no proximity aler-" an alarm blaring over the consoles cut her off mid-sentence and her own concern sky rocketed. "How did you know before the… You know what, I'll ask later."

 _You can't let me be taken by the Sanctum._

Etro's voice ricocheted in Lightning's skull, and she pressed her fingers against her temple. The panic she felt wasn't her own, but seemed to be coming from the AI. Then there was concern which wasn't coming from her either. Lightning looked up at Fang and as their eyes met a feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach. "Etro, what does the Sanctum want with you?"

 _To use me to activate an old weapon. One that with my help, would wipe out entire colonies._

Vanille arched an eyebrow at the question, wondering if now two people had gone mad on their ship. Her eyes darted between her sister and the Lieutenant as they both paled at the same time. Fang began to curse under her breath. Lightning began to pace. Vanille lost her patience.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded, her anger and confusion reaching new and terrifying levels. "How did you know abou-"

An explosion rocked the ship and had them all stumbling forward on the bridge. Fang gripped at her seat and leapt into it with a growl. "We'll explain later. Need to get out of this mess first."

A dozen small fighters filled the radar, all headed towards the ship. Lightning ran to her own seat and primed the weapons, her hand hovering over the controls. Her head pounded as she felt analytical data flood her mind and pressed the comms device. "Sazh, get out of the engine room and get to the bridge. They're going to go for the engines first to disrupt them and I don't want you down there."

" _Well shit, don't need to tell me twice._ "

Vanille frowned, listening to Fang and Lightning barking out orders and tactical information faster than her fingers could keep up on the controls. But it at least had them slightly more prepared when the first of the small hornet-class ships came swarming in. They opened fire towards the engine as predicted, but the power had been diverted to strengthen the shields around the bay.

"Sazh, get on the starboard turrets and get those flyers out and… Shit!" Fang cursed and bit the inside of her cheek as the lights on the bridge suddenly flickered out. "Life support! Get the suits on now!" They all scrambled for the suits and clicked the helmets into place as the last of their systems went offline.

"Etro, what's the status?" Lightning asked aloud, Vanille's head whipping around in disbelief.

 _They have hit the ship with an EMP pulse. The hornet ships are preparing to dock and… Incoming transmission._

A smug face framed by blonde hair came on the screen as the systems slowly came back online, tied into a band that striped across the man's forehead. He looked familiar but Fang couldn't place where she'd seen him before. Possibly on a wanted poster, if the guns trained on the ship were anything to go by. "Come on mate, cut us a fucking break will ya? It's been a long week."

The man chuckled and shook his head with a grin plastered on his face. " _Nah, not likely my friend. We've got business with you and your cargo. Specifically the stuff you took from the base on Dagon._ "

"God fucking dammit why can't I just have one thing go right on this trip?" Fang complained, burying her helmet in her hands. The ship was dragged forward by the hornet ships locking on with tractors.

 _Your systems are being overridden and docking procedures are in place._

"What are your intentions?" Lightning asked, bringing her gun into view of the screen. "Are we going to talk? Or die? Because if it's the latter, I can guarantee I'll put up a fight."

" _Now now, we can all be civilised. Boss wants to talk, wants the gear and maybe we'll take your ship and drop you off at the nearest station. You play nice, we'll be nice._ "

Fang placed a cautious hand on Lightning's shoulder and squeezed. Now wasn't going to be the time. "May as well go suit up for action, just in case. Vanille, Sazh, stay on the bridge and lock it down. It'll at least buy some time before they get in. Give us time to figure out how to get out of this." The redhead ran over and gave her sister a tight hug, trying not to let the fear get the better of her. Giving her a gentle squeeze, Fang gently pushed Vanille back and gestured for Lightning to follow.

They moved to the armoury and pulled on the terrain suits, adjusting the fabric cloaks that went over the suits for extra protection. Walking down to the cargo bay in silence, Fang placed her hand at the small of Lightning's back in a supportive gesture.

"This ride ain't over yet, Sunshine. Let me do the talking and we'll be on our way again in no time."

"Somehow I doubt that, but… Let's do this."

Fang gave the Lieutenant a confident smile and kicked at the panel to open the door. Her face fell when she saw at least a dozen pirates aiming weapons at them, and she raised her hands slowly in surrender. The crew filed in, fanning out into the cargo bay and making room for their leader who sauntered in with all the casual air of a bored royal.

While masked, the frame of the pirate leader was easily that of a woman, and Lightning and Fang spared a nervous glance at each other. The quiet hiss of hydraulics could be heard as the woman walked around the cargo bay from flexing her left hand, the by-product of having a Pulsian prosthetic. The metal fingers tapped along the crates from Dagon and her head tilted as she reached in and picked up the journal that belonged to Fang.

"Hey! Don't touch that!" Fang yelled, receiving the butt of a gun to the back of her head to silence her protests. For all that they felt danger, Lightning was curious at how carefully the pirate leader handled the journal, delicately flipping through the pages.

"What do we call you?" Lightning called out, bracing herself for the impact of a gun against her head when the leader held her hand up to stop her subordinate. The helmeted head turned towards the duo and back to the journal a few times, and the woman walked over slowly. She gripped Fang's jaw and lifted her head with cold, steel and carbon fingers. Once the woman let go, Fang turned away and stared at the ground in defiance.

"A great deal many things," the leader's voice huskily drawled through her helmet. "Your majesty, queen, leader of the L'cie. Mom, if you're feeling sentimental." She paused, taking her helmet off and waiting for Fang to look back up. When the brunette finally did, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"You've got to be shitting me."

The woman tutted her tongue in annoyance and clipped the back of Fang's head with her hand. "And your mother didn't raise you with a demon's tongue like that either, Oerba Yun Fang." Flicking her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, she motioned for the guards to lower their weapons and allowed Fang and Lightning to stand. The leader was older, her one hazel eye casting a discerning gaze over the Lieutenant. The other eye was covered by another prosthetic, the blue lens lit and flickering.

Lightning eyeballed the woman before turning slowly to Fang with disbelief plainly on her face. "Your… Mother?" She asked hesitantly. Any further shocks to her system would likely have her running out the nearest airlock at this point. Fang laughed and shook her head.

"No, but she was the matron in our village, looked after us at the orphanage." The mercenary replied with a heavy swallow. "Everyone ended up calling her mom because she just… She was just mom."

The blonde laughed heartily and pulled Fang into a tight hug, to the amusement of the other chuckling troops around them. "It brings me much joy that you still live, you stubborn idiot. I have been tracking you since you left Dagon, though I didn't know it was you. Just figured you for some opportunistic bastards looking to take our possessions."

Fang stood back and smiled warmly, wiping a wayward tear from her face with the palm of her hand. She regarded the pinkette's wary features and took her by the hand. "It's alright, Lightning. She's good people. These would be the last remnants of Oerba our… Friend told us about."

"Damn right I'm good people. We have much to talk about, my little Yun. Please, introduce me to your friend and then point me in the direction of the nearest drink."

Lightning stepped forward and gave her customary salute. "I am Lieutenant Claire Farron of the Guardian Corps, Sunleth Division. But everyone calls me Lightning." Holding out her normal hand, the woman clasped Lightning's wrist with a cheeky smile.

"Well, if you're a friend of Fang's you're a friend of mine. Please, call me Khosrow."


	8. Chapter 8

_AN- oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. I honestly didn't realise it had been almost a year since this was updated. Terrible. It was my birthday last week so as a present I'm giving you this chapter, with another very shortly behind it (probs about two thirds of the way through at the moment). This hasn't been abandoned by any stretch of the imagination, I just get VERY distracted by life being a jerk. But thanks for your patience anyway._

* * *

The matron-turned-pirate-queen tipped her head back and let the smooth, slow burn of the alcohol warm her throat. "Gods, that is good. Managed to clear out the rations stores on Oerba for this I take it?" Khosrow asked with a twitch of an eyebrow. Fang shrugged and swirled the drink in her own glass.

"You know it."

Lightning frowned at the glass she held, the liqueur already strong to begin with from what she saw on the label, let alone it having sat in a cellar for five hundred years. A flash of pain ran through her head and she grimaced, pressing her fingers to her temple.

 _[I apologise. I was attempting to see if I could extract myself without causing you harm. It would appear that is not currently possible. I did however remove any components of alcoholic intoxication from your system.]_

Etro's calm voice echoed inside her skull and Lightning sighed. "Thanks... I guess..." The lieutenant muttered, drawing Khosrow's gaze. The blue light of her optics implant flickered and the Pulsian matron gave Fang a mischievous grin.

"So does your girlfriend here always talk to herself? Or just when she has forbidden AI tech stuck in her head?"

Lightning spluttered as she took a drink and Fang scrambled for an answer to cover up the obvious tell. "I just.. I uh... Khos', she's not my girlfriend. And secondly... Fuck it. How did you know?" She asked incredulously. The former matron rolled her eyes and pointed at both of them with a loud huff.

"Why do you think we were pursuing you, kid? We knew there was an Etro device amongst that cargo, I was the one that hid it back before the big freeze. Put it inside the small crystal statue of an old Pulsian relic in the hopes any idiot picking it up would just think it's some _savage artefact_ and leave it be. And hoped that any locals that saw it would be superstitious enough to leave it the fuck alone. How is she by the way?"

Fang's eyes fluttered shut as she was overwhelmed with data flitting through her mind. She could suddenly recall all records from the AI project Khosrow was once a part of, her thoughts suddenly consumed with her home before she lost everything. There was a shrill ringing in her ears that faded as she pushed back against the onslaught of information and opened her eyes. "She's... Fine... Chatty little thing. What's her deal anyway? She isn't merged with our armour, Khosrow. She's merged with _us._ "

The matron sighed and slumped forward against the table, grabbing the bottle and helping herself to a refill. The others from Khosrow's crew were seated at the other table, swapping stories with Sazh and Vanille, leaving them to discuss the more serious matters in private. "How she's managed to actually merge with your consciousness? I have no idea. As for what her _deal_ is... We had our suspicions." She finally answered. "She was more advanced than anything we had ever seen before the shit hit the fan, and considering she was built to fire a doomsday weapon, that was naturally a shocking discovery that the scientists had built an E.T.R.O unit that had no interest in the purpose she was designed for."

Khosrow's communicator crackled and a monotone voice droned over the speaker. " _I did not wish to engage in the mass ending of life when I had only just begun to experience what it meant to be considered... Alive."_

"Clever little girl, aren't you?" The matron pointed at the speaker on her wrist with a wry grin. She tapped the speaker a few times thoughtfully before glancing up at Fang. "You kids better keep her out of Psicom's hands. Half a millennium doesn't change the fact that they're still dirty vipers seeking to control the cosmos with an iron fist."

Lightning lowered her gaze and fiddled with her hands, not wanting to think about the organisation that oversaw the Guardian Corps in such a light. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable in the presence of those who deemed her an enemy simply from the nebula she was born in. Did they lump her into the same category? Did they look at her as if she was just as complicit in her home's demise just because of the owners of the dog tags around her neck? Lightning slowly stood from the table and politely excused herself, walking quickly from the room. Khosrow raised an eyebrow and stared after her.

Fang watched her leave with concern, too distracted watching her leave to notice an ice cube being thrown at her. She hissed as it slid down the front of her top and glared at the pirate queen, fishing the wayward cube from beneath her clothes. "What was that for?" Fang complained. Khosrow chuckled and narrowed her eyes.

"You're awfully invested in that Cocoonian there, Yun. You bedded her yet?"

" _Khosrow._ "

"What? You're a hot-blooded Oerban, for Etro's sake. She's cute. You should let her know."

"Mom for god's sake. Please stop talking." Fang groaned, burying her head in her hands. She did not need relationship advice from the matron of her village. "She's... We're helping her get home. After that, I'll probably never see her again. The galaxy is a big place, after all."

Khosrow laughed and gave a glance towards the others at the other end of the room. "Aye, it is a big place. And yet you've already run into a merchant heading to the same system and have been able to help him out. It is a big place, and we found each other again. I doubt that by the time your journey is finished, that the pink-haired lieutenant would want to leave your side. If I'm wrong, I'll refurbish your engine inside and out. If I'm right, I get the rest of your booze stash."

Rolling her eyes, Fang stood and stretched with a yawn. "So what about you, _mom_? Looking to stick around? We could use the extra help."

"Eh, I'll stick around until the next system, got some business over in the Taejin nebula. Smugglers dabbling in human cargo we want to take a look at. Feel like lending a hand?"

Giving a thoughtful hum, Fang put her hands on her hips and rested her weight on one foot. "Maybe. We've had a lot of detours, Khos'. The lieutenant just needs to get home to her sister. She's paying a lot to get there so, any more delays are likely to drive her mad."

Khosrow hissed and smacked the back of Fang's head. "You're _charging_ the cute soldier girl? What the hell is wrong with you? That is an expensive date, Yun." The former scientist lectured, Fang giving her a displeased scowl.

"Oh, piss off. She works for the Guardian Corps, overseen by Psicom, and they pay her well enough. I've got a ship to run and only 'Nille and I to run it. It costs _money_." Fang sighed, moving towards the door while rubbing the back of her skull. She had certainly missed the matron, but not the lectures on morals she would often receive. Fang paused and leant against the frame, gesturing to the hallway adjacent. "You've been on these Bahamut class vessels before yeah? You know where the other barracks are if you and the boys are staying the night."

Khosrow waved her off dismissively while grabbing what was left of the bottle and breezing past her in the doorway. "Taking this for my night cap, pup. Think about what I said." She drawled, meandering off down the corridor, Fang watching her leave with a sigh.

 _[Fang, if I could please request assistance.]_

The captain jumped at the sound of the sudden intrusion in her mind. It certainly felt like Etro, the communication inside her own head. But the voice was different, not as digital as what she had heard. If she was being honest, it almost sounded like...

 _[Yes, it's me, and not the AI. I'm down in the engine room, trying to fix the damage done from the EMP blast. I'm a bit stuck and don't want to come back up to the cargo bay to get the tools I need.]_

"The hell..." Fang staggered from her seat as a wave of information hit her mind, descriptions of tools required and the locations in the storage where they were located. She waved Khosrow off when the matron approached with a look of concern, heading off towards the cargo bay. "This is insane."

 _[But effective, nonetheless.]_

"Get out of my head, Farron. It's unsettling."

After grabbing the tools she needed, Fang meandered down to the engine room to find the lieutenant bent over a capacitor with her jacket off. The singlet shirt she wore showed off a fair amount of evidence that she worked hard, and Fang couldn't help but stare.

 _[Are you alright, Captain?]_ Etro's voice rung through her head. [ _I am detecting an increase to your core temperature and your heart rate upon your inspection of lieutenant Farron.]_

Fang looked absolutely mortified as Lightning turned slightly, and she knew the lieutenant had heard the AI. "I... I have not!" she protested, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

 _[The symptoms you are displaying are listed in my medical database as either a sign of arrhythmia, or arous-]_

"Shut up! Shut up! God dammit why is everyone doing this to me today..." Fang complained, forcing herself to think about cold showers and horrible things to calm herself down.

Lightning turned back to her works, suppressing a laugh. It was at least flattering. "So if you've finished staring at my ass, _captain_..."

Fang sighed, walking over and handing her the tools requested. The lieutenant took them with a smug smile and went back to work. "Seems its pick on the captain day today... Didn't know you knew how to fix a capacitor?"

"I don't. Etro is showing me. Want to lend a hand? Might even make it operate a little smoother."

It was obvious that Lightning was trying to make herself useful, and Fang wondered if it was because of the comments aimed at the vipers they once fought. She placed a hand on the wrench in the lieutenant's hand to hold her up. "Hey, you know we don't see you like them right? You're not with Psicom."

There was a slow sigh as Lightning put the tool down and leant against the wall. Fang's words aside, it didn't stop her from still feeling like she worked with the enemy. But surely they weren't as bad now as they were back during Fang's era... New leadership, new direction... Hopefully they weren't the same.

"It just... I want to believe they've changed. If they are no different than when they were around in your era, if they haven't changed... Then I am complicit just by working with them." Lightning sighed, flexing her fingers and staring at the palm of her hand.

"Hey, no. Come on, Light." Fang said, reaching out and placing an arm on the small of the Lieutenant's back. When Fang reached for her hand, she gasped as another surge of connection hit her. She could feel the doubt, the worry, and the uncertainty leaking out of the pinkette's mind. Fang's eyes widened as she realised they were linked on more than a surface level with Etro. To test a theory, she tried to send calming thoughts through her mind, but the most she could come up with was a fluffy chocobo.

Lightning burst out laughing at the strange image of a dancing yellow bird running through her head, the joy infectious for the captain as well. "Goddess... Did you do that?" She asked. Fang nodded with a sheepish smile, watching a subtle glow between their fingertips.

"I think so. I just felt like you were sad, and wanted to think about how to cheer you up."

"Well... Thank you. I guess this strange AI in our heads has more to offer than just tactical information. On that though... I feel like there is something you want to ask me."

Fang pursed her lips and sighed, stepping back and severing the direct link between them. They both felt cold, like a chill in the air had suddenly burst through the air vents. She scratched at her arm, wondering how appropriate it would be to lean against the lieutenant for a while longer.

"Yeah. Khosrow is going to stick with us until the next system, she has an eye on a human trafficking ring in the Taejin sector. Wants to know if we want in. But I said I'd check in with you because you know... I think we've had enough of detours and I know you want to get home to your sister."

It was true, Lightning supposed. She did want to get back to Serah, and there were enough _complications_ that have already put them several weeks behind schedule as it was. Still, she couldn't sit back and allow innocent people to be taken into slavery -or worse- and ignore it. Lightning gave the captain a smile and nudged her with her hip. There was a spark of connection between them at the contact and they both laughed nervously.

"I'd be a useless officer if I ignored them. Count me in, Fang. Let's show Khosrow how it's done."

* * *

Lightning sat in the cargo hold of Khosrow's smaller ship, glaring at Fang from her seat. She bristled as they descended towards the facility built off the remains of starships littered around them. A slavers ring hidden within a ship graveyard inside an asteroid field. Lightning couldn't think of anything more perfect and unassuming for a hideout. Hard to navigate, harder to escape. She sighed loudly, Fang lifting her head and adjusting her position in her seat.

"What are you looking at me like that for? This was _not_ my idea." Fang complained, fidgeting under the icy glare from the lieutenant.

"When I said we should show Khosrow how it's done, this is _not_ what I meant, Fang!" Lightning snapped, raising her wrists and shaking the chains that fell from them. Bound and unarmed as they were, there was no way this was going to be an easy run for either of them.

"Will you two relax and shut up back there? You're not going to be without backup, besides, Etro's capabilities are a weapon in and of herself. She may be against the killing she was designed for, but she's certainly not going to let either of you take a bullet from one of these arseholes." Khosrow called out from the pilot seat, sighing at their antics. "Fucking children…"

" _Khosrow is correct. I will do my best to ensure no harm comes to either of you. Once within the facility I will check the security protocols on the base and secure you an escape route._ " Etro's droning voice chimed in over the communicator in the cockpit. Khosrow smiled happily and punched in landing coordinates into the computer.

"You heard the lady. Now both of you pipe down while mama throws out a bit of charm, ey?"

Fang rolled her eyes and slumped back in her seat, trying to fold her arms grumpily around the restraints. Lightning stood up and shuffled over, sitting next to the mercenary. She already felt a little calmer from the proximity, and chanced the contact when she leant against the Pulsian, their connection flowing freely between them.

Lightning could feel a slight undercurrent of nerves from beneath the cocky exterior, and she arched an eyebrow at the captain. "So you think this plan is about as insane as I do, huh?" She whispered quietly while Khosrow argued with the docking control on the station. Fang hummed and nodded, struggling a little in the restraints.

"I trust mom with my life but… I don't enjoy her testing the theory from time to time. I… I promise you, I will get you home, Light. She knows what she's doing, as shit as this situation is for us. I won't let anything bad happen to you, ok?" Fang said, reaching for Lightning's hand. They both gasped at the touch, feeling a million thoughts and memories between their fingertips.

Khosrow threw a bottle over her shoulder and hissed at the two of them to be silent, bringing up the communicator. "So as you can see, I've got two chumps here to be processed, and I'd like to get some coin for my troubles." She drawled, the wiry man on the screen narrowing his eyes at the two in the background.

" _Interesting. They look unbroken._ "

"Of course they're unbroken. Why do you think I'm trying to offload them here? Is this not the go-to place for this kind of shit?"

The man sat silently for a moment, considering her. Lightning found herself holding her breath. He was a balding, weathered-faced man with a cruel gaze. She felt exposed and unclean under his gaze, and Fang felt it through the connection. The captain leaned forward to block the view, her viridian irises focused firmly on the pinkette. "Don't look at him, Light. Look at me." She said, thinking about a nice beach somewhere from her memories as she reached for the Lieutenant's hand. Lightning's eyes closed as she swore she felt the sun on her skin, smell the salt in the air. Fang joined her in the memory, closing her eyes as well.

When they opened, she was standing on a beach from her childhood, before the war complicated everything. "Gods," Fang breathed, looking around. "It feels so real." She glanced down to find herself still holding Lightning's hand. The pinkette smiled at her and cast her gaze along the shore. It was a huge lake that ran adjacent to the village, lined with a mountain range on the other side in the distance.

"Where are we?" Lightning asked, stepping a little closer to the captain. Fang swallowed the lump in her throat and began to lead the lieutenant along the shore.

"My home. Oerba. Five hundred years ago. This place is in ruins now but… Etro must be doing something to make this place as real in our minds as possible. God… It's… Hard. Seeing it like this again." Fang said quietly, seeing ghosts of people she knew milling about on the dock that led into the village. She teared up at the memory, having spent long afternoons on the shore shirking her duties to laze and listen to the water lap away at the lake's edge. She glanced down, feeling Lightning's grip tighten firmly in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Fang. I can't imagine what it would be like to wake up and find everything and everyone you've ever known gone. For what it's worth, this place is beautiful."

Fang nodded and slowly let go of the lieutenant's hand, opening her eyes to the cold steel and Khosrow's concerned face. They had already landed, and were in the docking bay of the slaver's facility. "You feel like telling me where you went just now?" Khosrow asked, taking Fang by the jaw and checking her eyes. The brunette fidgeted and battered the hand away with a scowl. "Hm. As I thought. Etro, I don't mind you playing with those memory immersion protocols we had been experimenting with back in the day, but maybe not when they're about to embark on a dangerous mission? Fang's pupils are dilated to Valhalla and back."

Fang blinked, her eyes incredibly sensitive to the light. "What was that?" She asked, glancing over to the pinkette and seeing her eyes just as darkened from her enlarged pupils.

"We had been fiddling around with the VI suites' capabilities for immersive memory recall, to help with witness statements and the like, but never greenlit the project on account of it causing REM-like states in the subject's conscious mind." Khosrow explained, shouldering a rifle and helping them both to their feet. "So Etro, I'd prefer to not have them tripping balls in the midst of a viper's nest, thank you."

" _Understood. My apologies. I shall adjust-_ "

"Wait." Lightning held up her hand, wincing from the bright lights. "Wait until they process us. It'll sell the story that we had to be sedated. They'll be less likely to delay if they think we aren't going to be a problem."

Fang nodded with a smile and shuffled towards the door. "How's your acting skills? You up for a bit of undercover work?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Lightning sighed with a roll of her eyes.

The door slid open to a plethora of guards and lowlifes pointing weapons at them, and Khosrow sheathed the shotgun into a holster attached to her thigh. "Alright alright, no need for the welcome mat. They won't be any trouble." She drawled, her eyes fixed on the wiry man she had been previously dealing with. He practically slithered through the crowd of guards, reaching forward to grip Lightning by the chin. The lieutenant's eyes rolled back in her head and she let out a low groan as her gaze was tilted back, and she slumped forward as the man let her go.

"Interesting specimens. Where did you pick these two up?" The bald man asked, adjusting his sleeve to get a better grip on Fang's face. The Pulsian had to swallow that instinctual reaction to bite his hand, keeping up the pretence of being drugged. Khosrow shrugged and casually checked her nails, keeping an indifferent, bored expression on her face.

"Ship was stranded a few sectors over. Managed to pick these two up along with the cargo they carried. A nice little haul for me and the boys if I do day so myself. They were sharing a bed so, keep them together and you may well get less trouble from them, eh?" Khosrow added with a wink, slapping Fang on the rear. The mercenary glared at her out of the corner of her eye, mentally lining up a retaliatory punch for her brash behaviour and imagining it connecting to make herself feel better.

" _Fallak_ _n'ara_. _E'o_ _fikhta dira t'so_..." Fang grumbled, the wiry man perking up at her voice.

"That's not a dialect I've heard before. What is she saying?" He asked curiously, Khosrow's eye twitching. She slapped Fang on the back of the head and sent the Pulsian stumbling forward.

"Hell if I know? Been spouting gibberish the entire trip out a translator. You gonna pay me for these two or am I gonna have to take these exotic beauties somewhere else?"

The man hummed thoughtfully, reaching forward and yanking on the chains attached to Lightning's restraints, sending her crashing to the floor. "Is this one the same? Do you speak, girl?"

Lightning paled, having no idea what Fang had said, or even that there was a Pulsian dialect. She reached for the brunette and clutched at her wrist, searching her memories for the information she needed. "Fang, _tas'e oljan opa_?" Lightning asked, Fang unable to hide her shock at hearing the words from the pinkette in her native tongue.

"Fascinating. I think I will take them off your hands miss…" He paused, waiting for the pirate to introduce herself. Khosrow scoffed and folded her arms, taking a step back from the slaver and the guards.

"None of your fuckin' business, is what my name is. I got places to be. Give me the asking price or back off."

The man sighed and nodded his head towards one of the other guards with an annoyed click of his tongue, who scurried forward and handed over a credit chip. "Twenty thousand gil, each. As discussed. Farewell, madam. Safe journeys and may your path bring you back to me with more… Fascinating individuals."

Khosrow gave the two a lingering stare before holding her breath, turning on her heel and returning to her ship. The engines roared to life and the small craft listed lazily out of the docking bay, leaving Fang and Lightning staring after the Pulsian pirate with no small amount of concern. The lieutenant's breath hitched as a collar clamped around her neck, the chains fed through from her restraints.

"Alright then, you two creatures. Welcome home."

Fang swallowed hard as a guard approached her and held his gun up high. "Oh, _shaz'i_." She muttered as he brought the weapon down hard, crunching into the side of her head.


End file.
